Homomorphic encryption can theoretically play a significant role in privacy protection, especially in scenarios requiring computation on encrypted data. This advanced cryptographic technique allows for operations to be performed on encrypted data without needing to decrypt it first. The result, when decrypted, matches what would have been obtained had the operations been performed on the original, unencrypted data. This capability is particularly useful in preserving privacy in cloud computing and data analysis contexts, where sensitive data needs to be processed without exposing it to potential privacy breaches. Homomorphic encryption thus represents a powerful tool in the arsenal of privacy-enhancing technologies. However, it is currently limited due to its computational complexity and limited functionality (usually simple polynomial functions). Further, exotic encryption techniques like these fall far outside of the FIPS-140 recommended schemes meaning they can often not be used in highly regulated or compliance-heavy domains.
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