Distinguished Lecture Announcement
Prof. Boulat Bash
University of Arizona
Title:
Covert Communication: From Classical to Quantum
Date & Time:
Monday, 21 July 2025
15:00 (3:00 PM)
Location:
Room 22.2, Institute for Communications Technology (IfN)
Schleinitzstraße 22, Braunschweig
Abstract:
In many communication scenarios, it is not enough to protect the content of a message—sometimes, the mere existence of a transmission must remain hidden. This is the realm of covert communication, which ensures not only secrecy but also undetectability. While traditional methods like encryption secure message content, covert techniques prevent adversaries from even realizing that communication is taking place.
In this talk, Prof. Boulat Bash explores the fascinating evolution of covert communication from classical systems to the quantum realm. He will show that even though the Shannon capacity of a covert channel is zero, surprisingly large amounts of data can still be transmitted covertly. He will also discuss how covert systems uniquely benefit from channel dynamics and how pre-shared quantum entanglement can enhance classical covert communication—while the covert transmission of quantum data (qubits) presents new challenges due to the very noise that enables concealment.
The presentation will focus on intuitive explanations of these results, with an eye toward future research directions in this exciting and rapidly developing field.
Speaker Bio:
Prof. Boulat A. Bash is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Arizona. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Dartmouth College and earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Prior to his current role, he was a Scientist in the Quantum Information Processing Group at Raytheon BBN Technologies.
His research spans quantum information processing, communication security, privacy, signal processing, and information theory. Prof. Bash has received numerous accolades, including an Honorable Mention in the 2015 NSA Best Scientific Cybersecurity Paper Competition, the Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems Excellence in Engineering and Technology Award, and the prestigious NSF CAREER Award.
All interested researchers, students, and colleagues are warmly invited to attend.
Zoomlink: https://tum-conf.zoom-x.de/j/63632016037?pwd=WjJBczN2RSs5TnJJRThCYnEvaGhhZz09