Prof. Shweta Agrawal, CSE | "Real-life cryptography is cooler than Imitation Game-the movie"| Ep.13

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

February 14, 2025

Duration

1h 5m

Channel

Best Place To Build

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Ever wondered why even supercomputers can't crack certain codes? Or why the most secure algorithms are inspired by art? This episode unravels these mysteries as Professor Agrawal takes us through:

• The hidden beauty of mathematical secrets
• Why modern cryptography is cooler than Hollywood depicts
• Her journey of merging art with theoretical computer science
• Building CyStar and redefining cybersecurity in India

Discover why calling computer science "coding" is as absurd as calling surgery "knife science," and explore the delicate dance between structure and randomness that keeps our digital world secure. A profound discussion about quantum-resistant algorithms, the power of Atma Shraddha, and much more. Plus, discover how medical research can use private genomic data without compromising privacy, why RSA encryption was a life-changing moment, and how the war effort transformed modern cryptography. An unmissable episode for anyone interested in mathematics, computer science, cybersecurity, or the future of digital privacy. Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:35 What is Cryptography? 00:02:24 History of Cryptography 00:04:20 Caesar Cipher and Hard Problems 00:05:09 Real-World Applications of Cryptography 00:07:07 Eavesdroppers and Attackers 00:08:01 Defining "Hard" Problems 00:09:24 Algorithms in Cryptography 00:10:11 Public Key Encryption- RSA 00:12:44 P vs NP 00:17:18 Shweta's Research Interests 00:17:57 Computing on Encrypted Data 00:18:53 Examples of Computing on Encrypted Data 00:19:55 The Fine Line Between Structure and Randomness 00:20:30 Analogy for Encrypted Computation 00:24:00 Functional Encryption 00:25:13 Functional Encryption and Quantum Security 00:25:41 Attribute-Based Cryptography 00:26:49 Lattice-Based Cryptography 00:28:10 Hard Problems in Engineering vs. Computer Science 00:29:59 Subfields of Computer Science 00:34:31 Why Study Computer Science? 00:37:56 Pressures on Computer Science Students 00:39:42 India's Position in Cryptography 00:41:38 CyStar Center 00:42:28 CyStar as a Cybersecurity Focused Center 00:46:40 Women in STEM 00:49:02 Performance of Women in STEM 00:51:35 Shweta's Personal Journey 00:55:38 Decision to Return to India 00:57:43 Atma Shraddha (Self-Belief) 01:03:23 Art and Cryptography 01:05:00 Conclusion References Prof. Shweta: https://www.cse.iitm.ac.in/~shwetaag/ CyStar: https://cystar.iitm.ac.in/ To know more about what makes IIT Madras- the Best Place to Build- go on to https://www.bestplacetobuild.com/

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Shweta Agrawal

  guest

• Unknown Host

  host

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Best Place To Build, featuring Shweta Agrawal and Unknown Host, Prof. Shweta Agrawal, CSE | "Real-life cryptography is cooler than Imitation Game-the movie"| Ep.13 explores modern cryptography, hard problems, encrypted computation, and building India’s research Cryptography is framed as the “art of keeping secrets,” enabling private communication, authentication, and secure protocols against algorithmic attackers.

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