Welcome to the home page for Laszlo Hars
- Laszlo at Hars US
- Laszlo period Hars at Seagate com
SUMMARY
For 20 years I have been leading and practicing Information Security research and
product development. I have been the chief architect of the low-level
functionality of the Seagate Full Disk Encrypting (FDE) hard drives
(encryption, access control, authentication, diagnostics…). I have 22 granted
patents in the field of Information Security, 45 published patent applications
(with over 25 more in the pipeline), 38 scientific publications, 4 more are under
preparation.
With broad
experiences in industrial research, university lecturing, product development
and project management I am an expert in a wide variety of fields including Information
Security – Cryptography, DRM, Digital Watermarking, Random number
generation and testing; System architecture; SW/HW development; Large Scale and
Algorithmic Optimizations; Digital Signal Processing; Electronic Design and
Simulations; Computational Geometry. Besides research and lecturing
I designed integrated circuits, managed large software projects and did
electronic and software system design. A lot of my work led to products still
in the market. I have been responsible for project schedule, risk management;
selecting, training and appraisal of team members, supervised Ph.D. students.
SKILLS
Information
Security Research
|
Cryptography Architect security systems;
Threat models; Design and optimize Elliptic Curve Cryptosystems; RSA, DES, AES implementations; Implement Cryptographic
Toolboxes; Invent long arithmetic algorithms;
Design new protocols, encryption modes, ciphers; Analyze security and functionality of cryptosystems Tamper Resistant SW improve known techniques, invent
new ones True Random Number Generators design several new ones, improve
old Random Number Tests design new algorithms, analyze
and improve old ones Copyright Management, Media Copy Protection
invent, analyze and program new methods Digital
Watermarking
new methods (for audio, image, document), apply signal processing for their
test and evaluation; investigate attack scenarios
|
|
Electrical
Engineering R & D
|
Signal Quality Measurement Design and build instruments for
spread spectrum telecommunication systems (CDMA, GSM, DECT, NADC) Signal Generation Design and build instruments for
very low distortion, wide-band modulated signals Electronic Systems modeling Mathematical
analysis and system simulations (noise effects, distortion, phase jitter,
frequency drift, quantization errors, rounding
errors, ADC resolution…) Circuits Design Invent new algorithms for analog
and digital filters, data recorder designs, design demodulators, power
supplies and other circuits Spectrum Analyzers Design, construct different ones
(frequency sweep, FFT) Digital
Oscilloscopes
Design and construction; New Calibration Methods
|
|
Software
Development
|
Mathematical Research Design and program a Graph creating and manipulating
package, equations Editor,
program methods for Planar Drawing
of graphs Parallelization of network-, sorting- and
matrix-algorithms Compiler design and Language definition for
a list manipulation language (RECS) Medical Systems Modeling, SW design: dosage of antibiotic treatment, model of concentration of chemicals and
decomposition products in the blood; Dialysis Planning at severe kidney insufficiency Router for VLSI design, multi-chip modules:
New, improved algorithms, SW Control of drawing instruments, new
algorithms Utilities, Electronic Musical Instruments, Simultaneous Rational Approximations Statistical Estimation
and Evaluation of measurement errors Combinatorial Games new algorithms and programs |
|
University
Lecturing
|
Undergraduate courses: Geometry, Calculus, Combinatory, Combinatorial Games, Graph Theory, Computer
programming Graduate courses: Differential
Geometry, Non-Euclidean Geometries, Discrete Geometry, Algorithmic Theory,
Combinatorial Algorithms, Numerical Methods, Computational Geometry, Parallel
processes, Data Structures |
|
Fundamental
|
Computational
Geometry
Solve long standing open mathematical problems about optimal weighted circle
placement on surfaces of constant curvature Computer
Graphics
Develop, analyze fast second order curve drawing algorithms, designed
data structures and algorithms for planar projections of 3D bodies Discrete
Geometry
Investigate optimal placements of objects on surfaces; Complexity of
Algorithms
(geometric, numeric, combinatorial) Optimization, improvement of numerical and
combinatorial algorithms Numerical
Methods
Invent new ones (reciprocal, inverse square root, polynomial roots, zeros of
smooth functions, special functions, matrix calculations) Discrete
Orthogonal Transformations
speed-ups, new algorithms File Allocation problem
solving in networks VLSI Design invent optimum placement, wire
routing algorithms |
|
Professional
|
Panelist, National Science
Foundation review of Cyber Trust (ISG) proposals (2005) Member of IEEE P1619 (Security In
Storage) standards committee (2004 - ) Organized, chaired the Philips Information Security Workshop
(2001, Eindhoven) Coordinator of the Parallel
Processing research group at the Eötvös University
(1987−1989) Chairman of the organizing
committee of the Hungarian National High-School Mathematical Contest (1984−1988) |
|
Tools
|
Various analog and digital measurement systems SW Applications: MATLAB, Maple, Wolfram Mathematica, MS Office, VISIO… Operating Systems: MS Windows, Virtuoso, pSOS, Unix/Linux Programming Languages: Assembler (TI DSP and x86),
C/C++, Pascal, Fortran, REX, TeX, Occam, AHK, Python |
|
Languages
|
Speak, read and write: English,
German, Hungarian |
DEGREES, EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Computational
Geometry, (Eötvös Loránd
University, Budapest, 1977. Thesis: Circle Packing)
M.Sc. in Mathematics and Computer Science, (Eötvös Loránd University,
Budapest 1975. Thesis: Complexity of Algorithms)
WORK EXPERIENCE
|
9/2002
– |
Seagate
Research 1251
Waterfront Place Pittsburgh,
PA 15222 |
Principal
Engineer-Scientist Manage R&D projects System
design, Random Numbers, Information Security, Cryptography |
|
2/2000
– 8/2002 |
Philips
Research, USA
345
Scarborough Rd Briarcliff
Manor, NY 10510 |
Senior Scientist Lead research projects Random
Numbers, Information Security, DRM |
|
7/1998 –
2/2000 |
Panasonic
Technologies, Inc. Panasonic
Information and Networking Technologies Laboratory, Princeton, NJ |
Senior Scientist Lead research projects Digital
Watermarking, Cryptography |
|
1/1990 – 6/1998 |
Schlumberger Technologies Ismaning, Germany |
Technology Manager, Mathematician: Mathematics
and Simulations, Electronic Design, R&D Management |
|
6/1988 – 1/1990 |
Institute for Operations Research University Bonn, Bonn, Germany |
Visiting researcher VLSI
design, Large Scale Optimizations |
|
8/1985 – 9/1992 |
Dept. of Computer Science Eötvös
Loránd University Budapest,
Hungary |
Scientist, Lecturer Computer
Science, Discrete Mathematics |
|
9/1979 – 9/1981 |
Dept. of Applied
Mathematics and Physics Kyoto University, Kyoto,
Japan |
Visiting researcher Network
optimizations |
|
8/1975 – 8/1985 |
Dept. of Geometry Eötvös
Loránd University Budapest,
Hungary |
Junior Scientist, Lecturer Discrete/Computational geometry |
Publications
Papers, Conference
Presentations
[1] 10-Circle-Packing on the Sphere, Conference on Univ. Mathematics, Eger, 1974
[2] In-Place Sorting (an efficient algorithm), Computer Science Conference, Szeged, 1974
[3] Novel Phase-Shifter Circuit, Radiotechnika, 1976
[4] Ph.D. Thesis: Weighted Circle Systems, 1977
[5] with A. Florian, J. Molnar: On the ρ-System of Circles. Acta Math. Acad. Sci. Hung. (1977) pp. 205-221.
[6] The Tammes Problem for n = 10. Studia Sci. Math. Hung. (1986) pp. 439-451.
[7] Problems in Computation Theory. Notes of the Technical University of Budapest. (1987)
[8] Circle Packing with Maximum Total Perimeter. Studia Sci. Math. Hung. 25 (1990) pp. 223-229.
[9] On the Density of Floating Balls. Studia Sci. Math. Hung. 27 (1992) pp. 25-35.
[10] Automatic Multi-Chip Module Wiring. Report No.90628-OR,
Forschungsinstitut für Diskrete Mathematik, University Bonn.(1990) [pdf]
[11] Random Search in the Traveling Salesman Problem. Report No.90629-OR, Forschungsinstitut für Diskrete Mathematik, University Bonn. (1990) [pdf]
[12] Motion Control of Drawing Machines. Report, Institut für Ökonometrie und Operations Research, University Bonn. (1989) [pdf]
[13] Reversible-Segment List. Report, Institut für Ökonometrie und Operations Research, University Bonn. (1989) [pdf]
[14] Hybrid Heuristic for the Maximum Weighted
Independent Set Problem. Report, Institut für Ökonometrie und Operations Research,
University Bonn. (1989) [pdf]
[15] Iterative best fit design of IIR Filters. Proceedings of the Schlumberger Signal Processing Applications Conference (1993)
[16] Fast software division with Digital Signal Processors. Proceedings Schlumberger Signal Processing Applications Conference (1993)
[17] Formulae and Algorithms for the GMSK Modulation, DSP World Workshop Proceedings, Toronto (1998) pp. 221-238 [doc] [pdf]
[18] Fast Calculation of Common Mathematical Functions with Floating-Point DSPs, ICSPAT Conference Proceedings (1998), pp. 521-525.
[19] Optimum DFT Window Design, DSP World Spring Design Conference Proceedings, Santa Clara (1999). [doc]
[20] Frequency Comparator Based GFSK Demodulation, International Conference on Signal Processing and Applications and Technology, Conference Proceedings, Orlando (1999) [doc]
[21] Frequency Offset Measurement of GMSK/GFSK Modulated Signals, ICSPAT, Conference Proceedings Orlando (1999) [doc]
[22] Wide Range Frequency Response Compensation Using DSP, ICSPAT, Conference Proceedings, Orlando (1999) [doc]
[23] Algorithmic Optimization for Floating Point DSP Mathematic Libraries, DSP World, Conference Proceedings, Orlando (1999). [doc]
[24] How to Decimate with a DSP, DSP World, Conference Proceedings, Orlando (1999). [doc]
[25] DSP Supported Sweeping Spectrum Analysis, ICSPAT, Conference Proceedings, Dallas (2000). [doc] [ps]
[26] Generating Signals for Simulation and Test of Complex DSP Systems, ICSPAT, Conference Proceedings, Dallas (2000). [doc] [ps]
[27] Frequency Response Compensation with DSP, IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, (July 2003) pp. 91-95. [doc], also in: Streamlining Digital Signal Processing: A Tricks of the Trade Guidebook, Richard G. Lyons (Editor), ISBN: 978-0-470-13157-2, September 2007, Wiley-IEEE Press
[28] with M. Epstein, R. Krasinski, M. Rosner, H. Zheng: Design and Implementation of a True Random Number Generator Based on Digital Circuit Artifacts, Workshop on Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems CHES 2003, Cologne, Germany (2003) [doc] [pdf]
[29] Fast Truncated Multiplication for Cryptographic Applications, (CHES 2005), Edinburgh, [doc] [pdf] [ppt]. Short presentation in the rump session of the 6th Workshop on Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems (CHES 2004), Cambridge, MA, USA (August 2004): [ppt]
[30] Applications of Fast Truncated Multiplication in Cryptography, EURASIP Journal on Embedded Systems, vol. 2007, Article ID 61721, 9 pages, 2007. doi:10.1155/2007/61721. The results were presented in CHES 2005, Edinburgh, but not printed in the proceedings because of page limitations [doc] [pdf]. Short presentation in the rump session of the 6th Workshop on Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems (CHES 2004), Cambridge, MA, USA (August 2004): [ppt]. (The paper accepted for CHES'05 was resubmitted, but rejected for CHES'06 by reviewers, who did not read it. See some of their comments: [doc])
[31] Long Modular Multiplication for Cryptographic Applications,
Presented in the 6th Workshop on Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems
(CHES 2004), Cambridge, MA, USA August 2004 [doc]
[pdf] [ppt].
Cryptology ePrint archive: http://eprint.iacr.org/2004/198/,
SpringerLink: http://www.springerlink.com/index/M0EQ289BW2BNECL1
Note: The publisher misprinted the first version of the paper in
the conference proceedings LNCS 3156. It was later corrected and re-printed.
[32] Random Topics, Invited talk on SummerCon 2004, Pittsburgh [ppt]
[33] Modular Inverse Algorithms without Multiplications, EURASIP Journal on Embedded Systems, Volume 2006 (2006), Article ID 32192: [url], [pdf] (Manuscript 2004 [doc] [pdf]. Software for experiments [C], GMP-4.1.2 compiled into Win32 dll [zip].)
[34] with R. Thibadeau: DRM Building Blocks in Secure Disk Drives, Consumer Communications & Networking Conference, CCNC'05 / CES'05, Workshop on Digital Rights Management Impact on Consumer Communications, Las Vegas (January 6, 2005) [ppt] [pdf]
[35] with G. Petruska: Pseudorandom Recursions - Small and Fast Pseudorandom Number Generators for Embedded Applications. EURASIP Journal on Embedded Systems, vol. 2007, Article ID 98417, 13 pages, 2007. doi:10.1155/2007/98417.[url], [pdf]
[36] Discryption: Internal Hard-Disk Encryption for
Secure Storage, Computer (IEEE Computer Society, ISSN 0018-9162) Vol. 40, Num
6. (June 2007), pp. 103-105. Latest version: [doc]
[pdf]
[37] Toward
Standardization of Self-Encrypting Storage: Invited talk in the Security in
Storage Workshop, Baltimore, September 25, 2008 [doc] [pdf] [ppt].
[38] Random Number Generators in Secure Disk Drives. EURASIP Journal on Embedded Systems, vol. 2009, Article ID 598246, 10 pages, 2009. doi:10.1155/2009/598246. [url]
Issued Patents
Published patent
applications
(some
20 more patent applications are in the pipeline)