Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII) announced that its Cryptography Research Center (CRC) has developed the UAE’s first national crypto library. The library is designed to protect sensitive data using custom symmetric and asymmetric cryptographic primitives. It will be integrated into the UAE’s critical digital infrastructure across sectors like finance, healthcare, and telecommunications. Why it matters: This establishes sovereign capability in cryptography and enhances security levels against increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks in the UAE.
The Technology Innovation Institute's (TII) Cryptography Research Center (CRC) has launched CLAASP, a cryptographic library for the automated analysis of symmetric primitives. CLAASP, built on SageMath and Python3, automates the design analysis of block ciphers, cryptographic permutations, hash functions, and stream ciphers. Released as an open-source tool with a GPLv3 license, CLAASP aims to ensure design sovereignty for organizations creating symmetric ciphers. Why it matters: This tool provides an important resource for the region to strengthen its cryptographic capabilities and contribute to global efforts in safeguarding digital infrastructure against evolving threats, including quantum computing.
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.
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.
Conor McMenamin from Universitat Pompeu Fabra presented a seminar on State Machine Replication (SMR) without honest participants. The talk covered the limitations of current SMR protocols and introduced the ByRa model, a framework for player characterization free of honest participants. He then described FAIRSICAL, a sandbox SMR protocol, and discussed how the ideas could be extended to real-world protocols, with a focus on blockchains and cryptocurrencies. Why it matters: This research on SMR protocols and their incentive compatibility could lead to more robust and secure blockchain technologies in the region.
The Technology Innovation Institute's Cryptography Research Center (CRC) in Abu Dhabi has appointed a Board of Advisors comprised of global cryptography experts. The board includes Prof. Joan Daemen, Prof. Lejla Batina, Dr. Guido Bertoni, Prof. Carlos Aguilar, Prof. Damien Stehlé, and Prof. Tim Güneysu. The advisors will guide CRC's research efforts in areas like post-quantum cryptography and hardware-based cryptography. Why it matters: This move strengthens the UAE's position as a global hub for cryptography research and development, fostering innovation in this critical field.
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.
Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi has launched the UAE’s first secure cloud technologies programme via its Cryptography Research Center (CRC). The program will focus on advancing Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) like fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) and secure multi-party computation (MPC). TII researchers are also developing hardware accelerators to improve the efficiency of FHE. Why it matters: The initiative addresses growing security and privacy challenges in cloud computing, positioning the UAE as a leader in advanced cryptographic solutions for data protection.