TII ·
Prof. Daniel Panario gave a seminar on irreducible polynomials over finite fields and their applications in cryptography. The seminar covered how finite fields are used as basic components in many cryptographic applications. It surveyed families of irreducible polynomials and commented on their properties. Why it matters: The talk highlights the mathematical foundations and ongoing research relevant to cryptographic implementations in the region.
TII ·
CINVESTAV-IPN's Computer Science Department hosted a seminar by Prof. Francisco Rodriguez-Henriquez on isogeny-based key exchange protocols. The talk reviewed Supersingular Isogeny-based Diffie-Hellman (SIDH) and Commutative Supersingular Isogeny-based Diffie-Hellman (CSIDH). Isogeny-based protocols offer short key sizes but have higher latency compared to other post-quantum cryptosystems. Why it matters: This seminar contributes to the exploration of post-quantum cryptography, an important area for ensuring data security against future quantum computing threats.
MBZUAI ·
A DeepMind researcher presented work on incorporating symmetries into machine learning models, with applications to lattice-QCD and molecular dynamics. The work includes permutation and translation-invariant normalizing flows for free-energy estimation in molecular dynamics. They also presented U(N) and SU(N) Gauge-equivariant normalizing flows for pure Gauge simulations and its extensions to incorporate fermions in lattice-QCD. Why it matters: Applying symmetry principles to generative models could improve AI's ability to model complex physical systems relevant to materials science and other fields in the region.
TII ·
A cryptanalysis team at the UAE's Cryptography Research Center (CRC) has set new records in computation by decrypting a McEliece ciphertext without the secret key at INRIA’s McEliece decoding challenge, taking first and second place. The record computation took about 31.4 days on a cluster using 256 CPU-cores. The team also achieved top ranks in decoding quasi-cyclic codes and ternary codes, used in post-quantum cryptography. Why it matters: This achievement demonstrates the UAE's growing capabilities in advanced cryptography research and its contributions to the global effort to develop quantum-resistant algorithms.
TII ·
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been evaluating Post-Quantum Cryptography proposals since 2017. Lattice-based schemes have emerged as efficient candidates for Key Encapsulation Mechanisms (KEM) and Digital Signatures. This talk will cover the core operations within lattice-based schemes and efficient implementation strategies. Why it matters: As quantum computing advances, exploring and standardizing post-quantum cryptography is crucial for maintaining secure communication and data protection in the future.
TII ·
Professor Mike Scott will present a seminar at the Technology Innovation Institute's Cryptography Research Centre in the UAE. The seminar will focus on the challenges of keeping secrets safe from attackers in the context of cryptography. It will review proposed solutions, discuss use cases, and present a promising new approach. Why it matters: This seminar indicates TII's ongoing research and development efforts in advanced cryptography, a crucial area for secure digital infrastructure in the UAE and beyond.
TII ·
Communications Physics journal has a focus collection on space quantum communications. The collection covers supporting technologies, new quantum protocols, inter-satellite QKD, constellations of satellites, and quantum inspired technologies and protocols for space based communication. Contributions are welcome from October 20, 2020 to April 30, 2021, and accepted papers are published on a rolling basis. Why it matters: Space-based quantum communication is a critical area for developing secure, global quantum networks, and this collection could highlight relevant research for the GCC region as it invests in advanced technologies.
TII ·
Cristofaro Mune and Niek Timmers presented a seminar on bypassing unbreakable crypto using fault injection on Espressif ESP32 chips. The presentation detailed how the hardware-based Encrypted Secure Boot implementation of the ESP32 SoC was bypassed using a single EM glitch, without knowing the decryption key. This attack exploited multiple hardware vulnerabilities, enabling arbitrary code execution and extraction of plain-text data from external flash. Why it matters: The research highlights critical security vulnerabilities in embedded systems and the potential for fault injection attacks to bypass secure boot mechanisms, necessitating stronger hardware-level security measures.