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's Cryptography Research Center (CRC) has formed partnerships with several international universities, including Ruhr-University Bochum, Radboud University, Khalifa University, and others, to advance cryptography research. The collaborations cover areas like privacy-preserving cloud computing, lightweight cryptography, enhanced IoT protocols, and post-quantum cryptography schemes. CRC had previously partnered with Yale University and co-authored a book with New York University. Why it matters: These partnerships signal the UAE's commitment to developing advanced cryptographic capabilities and contributing to global research in data security and privacy.
Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII) has launched the UAE's first Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) software library, developed by the Cryptography Research Center (CRC). The library, written in C, supports various computer architectures and operating systems and has been integrated into secure communication products. It includes algorithms designed to protect against attacks by quantum computers, which threaten classic cryptographic methods. Why it matters: This launch positions the UAE among nations with advanced digital security capabilities, enhancing data confidentiality and security in the face of emerging quantum computing threats.
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.
Abu Dhabi has launched the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) as the applied research arm of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC). TII will focus on seven initial research centers including quantum research, autonomous robotics, and cryptography. The institute has already partnered with over 20 universities on 25 long-term projects, aiming to establish Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a global hub for advanced technology research. Why it matters: This initiative signals a major investment in R&D infrastructure and talent recruitment, potentially accelerating technological advancements and diversifying the UAE's economy.
Technology Innovation Institute (TII) has announced new leadership appointments across multiple research centers. Dr. Elias Tsoutsanis is the Acting Chief Researcher at the Propulsion and Space Research Center (PSRC), and Prof. Enrico Natalizio is the Chief Researcher of the Autonomous Robotics Research Center (ARRC). Other appointments include Dr. Felix Vega as Acting Chief Researcher of the Directed Energy Research Center (DERC), Dr. Victor Mateu as Acting Chief Researcher of the Cryptography Research Center (CRC), and Prof. Vincenzo Giannini as Chief Researcher of the Advanced Materials Research Center. Why it matters: These appointments signal TII's commitment to strengthening its research capabilities and driving technological innovation in key areas, potentially leading to significant advancements in various fields within the UAE and beyond.
Francisco Rodríguez-Henríquez, Technical Director at TII's Cryptography Research Center, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR). He is the first cryptographer from the Middle East to join the IACR board. His three-year tenure aims to foster cryptography development in the Middle East through conferences and seminars, and promote openly accessible cryptographic software and hardware. Why it matters: This appointment signals growing recognition of Middle Eastern expertise in cryptography and enhances the region's role in shaping global cryptographic research and development.
The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) has launched the "TII McEliece Challenges," the UAE's first cryptography challenges focused on evaluating the McEliece cryptosystem's hardness. The challenges, led by TII’s Cryptography Research Center (CRC), will present cryptanalysis problems across three tracks: Theoretical Key Recovery Algorithms, Practical Key Recovery, and Message Recovery. Participants can compete for a share of a US$75,000 prize pool by identifying vulnerabilities in the McEliece system. Why it matters: This initiative aims to enhance online security, foster local talent in cryptography, and strengthen the UAE's position in post-quantum encryption research.
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.
The Cryptography Research Center (CRC) of the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi is co-hosting the 21st Cryptology and Network Security Conference (CANS 2022) in cooperation with Springer, IACR, and NYU Abu Dhabi. The conference includes a workshop on AI and automation in cryptography and network security, with talks from experts like Claudia Diaz from Nym Technologies. Topics covered include post-quantum cryptography, blockchain security, and cryptanalysis techniques. Why it matters: This event highlights the UAE's growing role as a hub for cutting-edge research in cryptography and cybersecurity, fostering collaboration between academia and industry.
Cryptography Research Center's Prof. Francisco Rodriguez-Henriquez and PhD candidate Jorge Chavez-Saab won a Best Paper Award ahead of Asiacrypt 2022. Their paper, "SwiftEC: Shallue-van de Woestijne Indifferentiable Function to Elliptic Curves," was written in collaboration with Mehdi Tibouchi of NTT. The paper presents an improved variation of the Elligator Squared technique for representing points of arbitrary elliptic curves as close-to-uniform random strings. Why it matters: The award recognizes important cryptographic research from the UAE, contributing to the advancement of secure digital solutions.
A team from the Cryptography Research Center (CRC) secured 6th place out of 210 teams in the 'Donjon CTF 2021: Capture the Fortress' cybersecurity competition. The competition featured jeopardy-style challenges covering cryptography, reverse engineering, and hardware security. The CRC team participated to improve visibility and assess team capabilities, particularly in hardware security. Why it matters: The CRC team's strong performance highlights the growing cybersecurity expertise in the UAE and its attractiveness for talent in this field.
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.
Dr. Najwa Aaraj from MBZUAI and TII discussed the impact of quantum computers and machine learning on cryptographic algorithms. The talk covered post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) schemes, standardization efforts, and the role of machine learning in advancing cybersecurity solutions. Dr. Aaraj also highlighted the challenges of transitioning current cryptographic systems to quantum-resistant alternatives. Why it matters: As quantum computing advances, understanding and implementing post-quantum cryptography is crucial for maintaining secure communications and data protection in the UAE and globally.
Najwa Aaraj, Chief Researcher at the Cryptography Research Centre at TII, has joined MBZUAI as the first female faculty member in the Machine Learning Department. Aaraj leads R&D of cryptographic technologies, including post-quantum cryptography and lightweight cryptographic libraries. Her research will focus on the intersection of cryptography, cybersecurity, and machine learning, including using ML for cryptanalysis and protecting ML models with cryptography. Why it matters: This appointment strengthens MBZUAI's expertise in a critical area of AI security and cryptography, fostering cross-disciplinary research and innovation in the UAE.
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.
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.
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.
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.