Privastead: Innovative Home Security with User Privacy at Its Core

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Privastead is an innovative home security camera solution that prioritizes user privacy through end-to-end encryption using the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol. The system consists of three main components: a local camera hub that connects directly to IP cameras, a mobile app for event notifications and livestreaming, and an untrusted server that relays encrypted messages. Unlike traditional systems, Privastead minimizes trust in the IP camera and ensures that only the hub and app access unencrypted videos, with strong security guarantees including forward secrecy. The solution currently supports various IP cameras and relies on specific protocols for functionality.

Key features include:
- End-to-end encryption for enhanced privacy
- Support for existing IP cameras with minimal trust assumptions
- Components: camera hub, mobile app, and untrusted server
- Guarantees secure video access and forward secrecy

What is the main advantage of using Privastead over traditional home security systems?

Privastead provides strong privacy assurance through end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only the camera hub and mobile app can access unencrypted videos, while the server remains untrusted.

Which protocols does Privastead rely on for camera functionality?

Privastead relies on RTSP for video streaming and ONVIF for querying events from the camera.

Who is the project founder of Privastead?

The project founder is Ardalan Amiri Sani, a Ph.D. computer science professor at UC Irvine, who works on this project in his spare time.