Quantum Security and Cyber Resilience

Strategic Research Fields and Competence Areas

Bundled within the Centre for Applied and Integrated Security (CAIS), interdisciplinary team of experienced scientists and research engineers work passionately in solving real-world challenges and application-oriented excellence in research.  The competencies and research areas at CAIS centre are focused on Quantum Technology and Quantum Security related topics:

• Quantum Cryptanalysis
• Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)
• Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC)
• Secure and Trusted Quantum Systems
• Quantum Resilience and Readiness

Once quantum technologies and applications become generally available and mature, there will be attacks and threats on a wider scale on quantum-enhanced and enabled systems with potential harm to the society and can lead to substantial socio-economic impact.  The early involvement of various stakeholders ensures that the implemented security measures can be used by everyone.

Our research draws on experience from numerous research and development projects: Quantum computer-resistant algorithms ensure future proof cryptographic systems. Modern cryptographic processes and protocols guarantee that all requirements regarding information security and data protection are implemented properly.

Post-Quantum Cryptography

The focus of our research is centered around Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) design, development, security analysis of quantum computer resistant methods, investigations regarding the applicability and optimizations for devices with limited resources as well as the migration of existing systems. We are exploring the applicability and optimization of PQC on embedded devices with limited resources, as well as the challenges involved in migrating existing systems. 

We investigate the design and development of resource-efficient crypto accelerators in both hardware and software domains. The objective is to create building blocks for cryptographic solutions that can withstand attacks from powerful quantum computers, each addressing different ressource and security requirements and categorized into encryption, signature schemes, key exchange, and hashing algorithms, each addressing different security requirements.

The research encompasses various aspects such as loosely coupled and integrated architectures in OpenRISC hardware, security and sidechannel analysis of quantum computer-resistant methods, investigations into vulnerabilities, and the development of countermeasures. 

The research on PQC involves a comprehensive investigation of lattice-based, code-based, isogeny ECC, and hash-based PQC primitives, which are prominent categories within the field. These primitives offer unique mathematical foundations and cryptographic properties that make them potential candidates for secure post-quantum cryptographic systems. By studying and analyzing these primitives, researchers aim to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and performance characteristics, paving the way for the development of robust and efficient quantum resistant solutions. 

Quantum Key Distribution Networks

Quantum Communication has a great mid-term and long-term potential for value addition and is able to secure transactions, keep the transmission, protection and long-term storage of sensitive data and ensure the digital sovereignty of sensitive information. Significant progress has been made in Quantum Communication and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) in both, terrestrial communication and space-based communication.

We work with a particular attention to the vulnerability surface and quantum attacks on QKD, as well as classic attacks that could arise on the cryptographic primitives, protocols, tamper protection of the entire systems. Evaluation of new attack methods and vulnerabilities will also help to harmonize and standardize security evaluation and assessment requirements for quantum technologies.

Hardware Security and Trusted Systems

Hardware security focuses on attacks on and protection measures in integrated circuits, microchips, as well as modules of several microchips on circuit boards. The main tasks are divided into the defense against attackers with physical access to their targets and the provision of a basic hardware security layer on which further protective mechanisms, e.g., for the protection of operating systems, can be built.

The focus is on security evaluation in the lab, on securing and integrating microcontrollers and secure elements, tampering protection, and on the reliable use of system-on-chips and FPGAs. In this context, research is conducted and published in areas of side-channel analysis of cryptographic implementations, fault attacks, hardware penetration testing, physical-unclonable functions (PUF), and the use of machine learning. The results extend the state of the art in evaluation and protection measures. This distinctive spectrum of expertise and the many years of experience, as well as the corresponding equipment landscape with tooling in the laboratory, allow complex systems to be examined for vulnerabilities and individual security solutions to be designed.

Secure and Trusted Quantum Systems

Like in classic systems, quantum technologies and its active usage are intertwined with security and resilience. This will raise many open technical and legal questions on availability, robustness, reliability and trust and its implications as well. To tackle these challenges, Fraunhofer works on building up capabilities in quantum research and development secure and trusted quantum systems.