Deep expertise for new challenges in cryptography, security, and privacy.
We work with teams tackling challenging technical problems—from designing new cryptographic protocols to evaluating complex security architectures and privacy-preserving technologies.
Our approach combines more than 25 years of experience in computer security, rigorous technical analysis, and a willingness to explore problems that don’t yet have established answers.
Start a conversationWhat We Do
Security challenges take many forms, and the right approach isn’t always obvious. We work with startups and established teams at different stages of development, from exploring technical options to integrating complex systems and evaluating existing designs.
Finding the right technical approach
You have a challenging security or privacy problem, but the best solution isn’t obvious. We help you explore potential approaches, drawing on both established and emerging technologies. Through rigorous evaluation of their capabilities, limitations, and tradeoffs, we help you identify solutions that fit your requirements and make informed technical decisions.
Making the pieces fit securely
Real-world security challenges often arise not from individual components, but from the complex ways they interact. Integrating cryptographic protocols, security mechanisms, and existing infrastructure can introduce subtle vulnerabilities and unexpected behavior. We help you understand these interactions and navigate tradeoffs so that your systems achieve your security goals.
Evaluating designs and identifying weaknesses
Subtle security weaknesses often hide in assumptions that seem reasonable at first glance. Drawing on decades of experience with cryptographic protocols and complex systems, we know where to look, what to question, and how designs can fail. We combine that judgment with rigorous technical analysis—including formal methods where appropriate—to uncover vulnerabilities, identify risks, and recommend practical improvements.
Areas of Expertise
- Cryptography & Security Protocols
- Cryptographic protocol design and analysis, applied cryptography, zero-knowledge proofs, post-quantum cryptography, and secure and efficient cryptographic implementations.
- Identity & Authorization
- Authentication, access control, federated and decentralized identity, anonymous credentials, and delegation.
- Privacy-Enhancing Technologies
- Privacy-preserving protocols, information leakage, metadata privacy, web tracking and fingerprinting, and technologies for protecting sensitive data.
- Systems Security
- Security architecture, decentralized and distributed systems, protocol composition, threat modeling, and rigorous security analysis, including formal methods.
- Bots & Agents
- Detection of bots and automated access, analysis of automated behavior, and identity and authorization policies for AI agents.
Nikita Borisov, Ph.D.
Founder & principal consultant
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Risk Obviation Consulting is led by its founder, Nikita Borisov. Clients work directly with Nikita, drawing on more than 25 years of research in cryptography, computer security, and privacy.
Research Leadership & Recognition
Nikita’s research has received more than 13,000 citations. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley and has received an NSF CAREER Award and Best Paper awards at ACM AsiaCCS and The Web Conference. He has served as Program Co-Chair of the Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium (PETS) and the Financial Cryptography and Data Security Conference, leading international venues for privacy and applied cryptography research.
His work has been supported by the NSF, NSA, DHS, and the US Department of State, as well as industry partners such as Google, Mozilla, and Motorola.
Real-World Experience & Impact
Nikita has held visiting research appointments at Microsoft Research and Cloudflare. His work spans identifying weaknesses in deployed technologies, designing new systems and cryptographic protocols, and helping translate research into operational systems.
- Wi-Fi security. With Ian Goldberg and David Wagner, he co-authored a landmark security analysis of WEP, the original Wi-Fi security protocol standardized by IEEE and widely deployed in wireless devices. Their work demonstrated fundamental weaknesses that enabled eavesdropping, message modification, and traffic injection. Research paper
- Off-the-Record Messaging. With Ian Goldberg, he co-created OTR, which brought strong privacy protections—including forward secrecy and deniable authentication—to hundreds of thousands of instant messaging users. Its cryptographic design helped lay the foundations for the Signal Protocol, now used by services including Signal and WhatsApp to protect communications for billions of people. OTR project
- Refraction networking. He contributed to the research, design, and operational deployments of refraction networking—technologies that help hundreds of thousands of people living under repressive regimes circumvent Internet censorship through infrastructure operated by participating network providers. Research and deployments
Through ROC, Nikita brings this experience to focused consulting engagements: investigating difficult technical questions, evaluating designs and assumptions, and working with teams to develop practical solutions.
Start a conversation
Tell us a little about what you’re building, the technical question you’re facing, and where you’d like help. Early-stage ideas and exploratory questions are welcome.
Nikita will reply within a few business days. If there’s a good fit, we’ll arrange an initial conversation and agree on the scope, deliverables, and fees before starting an engagement.