Ron Steinfeld

Ron Steinfeld is an Associate Professor in the Department of Software Systems & Cybersecurity at Monash University's Faculty of Information Technology. With over 20 years of research experience in cryptography and information security, he has established himself as a leading expert in quantum-safe cryptography and lattice-based cryptographic systems.

His research focuses on the design and analysis of cryptographic algorithms and protocols, with special emphasis on quantum-safe cryptography and its applications. Professor Steinfeld introduced structured lattice problems, particularly the Polynomial-LWE problem, and established their quantum security foundations. His work forms the basis for practical implementations of lattice-based cryptography, including NIST Post Quantum Cryptography standard algorithms. His research has significant implications for blockchain security, homomorphic encryption, and quantum-enabled cybersecurity applications.

Professor Steinfeld has published over 80 research papers in international refereed conferences and journals, with more than 10 papers each cited over 100 times. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on practical implementations of post-quantum cryptographic techniques with applications in blockchain, privacy-preserving systems, and secure computation.

• ASIACRYPT 2015 best paper award for Rényi divergence based analysis techniques bridging theory and practice in lattice-based cryptography
• Amazon Research Award 2023 for "Practical Post-Quantum Oblivious Pseudorandom Functions Supporting Verifiability"

As an educator, Professor Steinfeld serves as Chief Examiner for key cybersecurity units including FIT2093 Introduction to Cybersecurity, FIT5003 Software Security, and FIT5124 Advanced Topics in Security. He has received more than AUD$4M in research funding from organizations including the Australian Research Council, Data61/CSIRO, and the cybersecurity industry. His current research portfolio includes multiple active projects on privacy-preserving cloud computation, quantum-resistant digital provenance, and scalable post-quantum multi-signatures, demonstrating his ongoing leadership in preparing cryptographic systems for the quantum computing era.