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58Zero knowledge proof (ZKP)Nowadays, we manage our finances online, we file our tax returns online, and we buy and sell our belongings online. However, before we can perform any transaction online, we need to verify our identity. This sometimes involves scanning and uploading our identity documents, such as our passports or identity cards, to an intermediate body or server. But we can%u2019t help worrying about our personal information being leaked or our identity being stolen if a server storing such sensitive information is hacked. Zero knowledge proofs (ZKPs) effectively reduce the risk of data breaches by only storing personal information as an electronic certificate on a server, rather than a copy of the identity document itself. Verifiers can securely access and verify the identities of users, but they cannot access their actual data. The owner of the personal information can choose what to include and disclose on the certificate, and the transmission is encrypted with a single-use pre-shared key. This means that even if hackers steal the file, they cannot decrypt it. And if they do manage to decrypt it, they only have a certificate without any sensitive information. However, a key issue with ZKP is its slow proof generation. To overcome this, Prof. Au%u2019s team uses distributed computing and a graphics processing unit to speed up the generation of proofs.IN SAFE HANDSDIGGING DEEPER