spdz

SPDZ refers to a framework for secure multiparty computation (MPC). It is a widely used software library that enables multiple parties to jointly compute a function over their private inputs without revealing those inputs to each other. The core idea behind SPDZ is to leverage cryptographic techniques to distribute computations and data in a way that maintains privacy.

The SPDZ protocol, introduced by Huang, Shen, and Zhang, and further developed by various research groups, is known for its efficiency in certain settings. It often relies on pre-processing phases to generate correlated randomness, which is then used to speed up the online computation phase where the actual function is evaluated. This separation of phases is a common design pattern in MPC to achieve better performance.

SPDZ supports a variety of functionalities, including secure arithmetic circuits and boolean circuits. It has been applied to diverse areas such as private database queries, secure machine learning, and privacy-preserving auctions. The library is typically implemented in C++ and is designed to be flexible, allowing researchers and developers to implement new MPC protocols and algorithms. Its development has been driven by academic research and has seen contributions from multiple institutions. The focus remains on improving performance, expanding the range of supported functionalities, and enhancing the security guarantees of MPC protocols.