Description

In the last three decades, public key cryptography has become an indispensable component of global communication digital infrastructure.

These networks support a plethora of applications that are important to our economy, our security, and our way of life. Mobile phones, internet commerce, social networks, and cloud computing rely on them.

In such a connected world, the ability of individuals, businesses and governments to communicate securely is of the utmost importance.

The currently used cryptosystems will need to be replaced by post-quantum cryptography (PQC), and that’s the goal of PQ React.

The need for addressing this problem early enough has been recognized by various relevant organizations and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has started an effort to identify cryptographic algorithms able to withstand quantum computer attacks by 2022— and make them available by 2024.

The main objective of PQ-REACT project is to design, develop and validate a framework for a faster and smoother transition from classical to post-quantum cryptography for a wide variety of contexts and usage domains, while leveraging Europe's most powerful Quantum infrastructure (IBM Quantum Computer from Fraunhofer FOKUS).

This framework will include PQC migration paths and cryptographic agility methods and will develop a portfolio of tools for validation of post quantum cryptographic systems, that will allow users to switch to post-quantum cryptography, taking under consideration their individualities and various contexts and a wide variety of real world pilots, i.e., Smart Grids, 5G and Ledgers. The project will also foster a series of open calls for SMEs and other stakeholders to bring and test their PQC algorithms and external pilots on the PQ-REACT, Quantum Computing Infrastructure.

Smartlex’s role

Smartlex will head up ethics compliance, data management, and analysis on gender aspects of the PQ React for the legal aspects of the project. In its involvement in the piloting phase, Smartlex will provide insights in (personal and non-personal) data protection & digital health.

Partners

• NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ‘DEMOKRITOS” 
• INDRA SISTEMAS SA
• TELEFONICA INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO SA
• FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV
• UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID
• SCUOLA SUPERIORE DI STUDI UNIVERSITARI E DI PERFEZIONAMENTO S ANNA
• MTU AUSTRALO ALPHA LAB
• SPLOROTECH SL
• ELLINIKO MESOGEIAKO PANEPISTIMIO
• AKADEMIA GORNICZO-HUTNICZA IM. STANISLAWA STASZICA W KRAKOWIE
• INSTITUT PO OTBRANA