"As the Internet and other networks become the basic infrastructure for conducting governmental, commercial and personal transactions, there are increasing amounts of sensitive data that are produced, transferred and stored in digital form. Computer services have revolutionized every aspect of human endeavour, but at the same time the current data management practices have lead to high risks of inadvertent exposure of sensitive information. Cryptographic techniques have been used successfully to secure online transactions but nevertheless they have done little to mitigate the risks of data exposure. The reason for this is that currently applied cryptographic methods do not offer a proper balance between utility and privacy for the data they secure. As a result, data utility is typically provided "on top" of cryptographic techniques through monolithic key-management that in the end leaves data vulnerable due to hacking incidents and chain-of-custody breakdowns. To address these issues of important concern, the University of Athens, proposes Prof. Aggelos Kiayias, a world renowned expert in the design of cryptographic systems, for a Marie Curie reintegration grant. Prof. Kiayias worked at the University of Connecticut, USA for the last six years. He built there a research group that had great impact in the area of cryptography and system security as evidenced by his record detailed in this proposal. The focus of this reintegration proposal is to enable the University of Athens to engage in the development and dissemination of a new generation of cryptographic tools that can be used to make computer systems and networks better fulfill their role as basic infrastructure carrying sensitive data. Moreover, the grant has the broader aim to impact the local IT industry by influencing its data management practices and facilitating a better opportunity for compliance with current and future privacy regulations."