The computer systems we have today often undermine our privacy and security, with user data being stored in a cloud and then resold, repackaged, and used in ways that are not in the user’s best interest. Not only that, but there are frequent data breaches and daily news reports relating to cybersecurity events and threats. Professor Henry Corrigan-Gibbs, an assistant professor in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and a member of MIT CSAIL, envisions a world in which computer systems are designed to protect the interest of those using the system, a computer system that allows users to get all of the benefits of cloud computing, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and low-latency networks — in other words, everything we like about computer systems — but without exposing users to the risks of privacy and security failures.

Henry completed his PhD in computer science at Stanford, was a postdoc at EPFL, and graduated from Yale University with a B.S. in computer science. His research focuses on computer security, cryptography, and computer systems. He sees a strong relationship between security and privacy, emphasizing that you cannot have security in a company or in a system unless you are protecting user information.