Nora Trapp is an engineer and applied cryptographer at Harvard's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), working at the intersection of technology and human rights.
Her research stems from a core belief that privacy is a fundamental human right, and that privacy-preserving technologies should be accessible, usable, and a default part of the applications we use every day. Her current research focuses on Encrypted Spaces, a new cryptographic architecture for end-to-end encrypted collaborative applications, as well as other privacy-preserving tools that protect dissidents, whistleblowers, and everyday users.
Throughout her career, Nora has built practical cryptographic systems for real-world use. At the Signal Foundation, she designed and implemented core systems including usernames and groups, and collaborated with members of marginalized communities, including women in Iran and Afghanistan, to develop privacy tools that enable safer communication under authoritarian regimes. At Juicebox, she designed an open-source encryption key recovery protocol combining usability with novel cryptographic techniques. At the Applied Social Media Lab at Harvard's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, she researched Encrypted Spaces and other privacy technologies, including secure infrastructure for whistleblowing.
Nora is also deeply committed to fostering inclusive and creative communities. She served as the long-time President of Double Union, a feminist hacker/maker space in San Francisco, and co-founded Cape Cod Makers, a nonprofit supporting maker culture through community events, shared resources, and maker spaces in schools and libraries.
