Meet the people of CRSS: Kyle Fredrickson

April 16, 2024

Q&A

Do you have any secret skills, or special interests?

At one point I was quite a fast distance runner. I'm not in racing shape anymore, but I still race once or twice a year for fun. I also have done a lot of rock climbing and mountaineering. I've spent some nights on ledges hundreds of feet off the ground and mildly froze a couple toes in the Sierras.

 

Would you rather be able to fly, see the future, or move things with your mind? And why?

See the future, because then I could plan well enough that I'd get to the goal faster by foot than by flying from wrong place to wrong place. Measure twice, cut once.

 

What are some (or one) accomplishment(s) that you are really proud of?

I am quite proud of the work that we're doing. Metadata privacy is important, and I think we've made a lot of progress. Originally, the problem was almost entirely unconstrained, but we've managed to converge to goals and solutions that seem practical. I'm pretty excited about it.

 

What is your research about?

The aim of my research is to build anonymous communication systems, where no one observing the system will be able to tell who is communicating with whom, even if they observe the system for a very long time. This is important because social networks are really valuable sources of information. To quote the NSA, "metadata absolutely tells you everything about someone's life."

 

What do you hope to do when you graduate (and when)?

I'm hoping to graduate in Spring of 2025. There's a range as far as what comes next (this is the real answer to why I'd like to know the future).

CRSS Contact: Fredrickson, Kyle