{"id":19047,"date":"2025-10-27T13:46:04","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T12:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uni.lu\/snt-en\/?post_type=news&p=19047"},"modified":"2025-12-11T14:03:59","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T13:03:59","slug":"post-quantum-cryptography","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.uni.lu\/snt-en\/news\/post-quantum-cryptography\/","title":{"rendered":"When quantum meets trust: Europe\u2019s race for digital security\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When tomorrow\u2019s hackers arrive, they may not break into your system with brute force; they might simply calculate<\/em> their way in. Imagine a world where every lock we trust online, from banking apps to satellites, can suddenly be picked by a new kind of mind: a quantum computer<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 
That unsettling idea formed the heart of the latest Quantum Breakfast<\/a><\/strong>, moderated by Lisa Burke<\/a>. <\/strong>Researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals explored the pressing question: are we ready for the quantum cryptographic era?<\/a><\/em> <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This discussion marked a natural continuation from previous breakfasts<\/a>, where participants considered how quantum algorithms<\/strong> could solve the impossible. This time, the focus shifted from potential<\/em> to protection<\/em>: how do we keep our digital world safe in a quantum future? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nWhen the locks change overnight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThink of quantum computing as the meteorite that wiped out the dinosaurs of today\u2019s encryption,\u201d joked Professor Jean-S\u00e9bastien Coron<\/strong> of the University of Luxembourg<\/a>. Classical cryptographic schemes like Rivest\u2013Shamir\u2013Adlema (RSA)<\/strong> <\/a>and elliptic curve encryption<\/strong>, he explained, rely on mathematical problems so difficult that even the fastest supercomputers cannot solve them within a lifetime. But quantum computers, operating on qubits that process countless possibilities simultaneously, could crack those codes in hours<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, this isn\u2019t just a distant, theoretical problem. \u201cThings are moving very fast,\u201d warned Oscar Diez<\/strong>, Head of the Quantum Computing Sector at the European Commission<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re talking about timeframes of just a few years.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n


Indeed, researchers and policymakers now recognise a narrow window – perhaps until 2035<\/strong> – to secure digital infrastructure before powerful quantum machines make today\u2019s protections obsolete. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nFrom post-quantum to pre-emptive\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, what happens when the maths that secures our emails, digital IDs, and banking transactions is no longer safe? The answer lies in post-quantum cryptography<\/a>:<\/strong> new mathematical schemes designed to withstand attacks from quantum computers. Unlike quantum key distribution (QKD)<\/strong>,<\/a> which relies on physical quantum channels and specialised hardware, post-quantum algorithms can be implemented using existing digital infrastructure<\/strong>, making them both practical and scalable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, as Dr Peter Roenne<\/strong>, Research Scientist at SnT<\/a> reminded the audience, \u201cmigration is complex, and urgency is relative.\u201d Moving global communication systems to new cryptographic standards involves years of testing, standardisation, and coordination across public and private sectors. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about changing algorithms,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt\u2019s about updating browsers, chips, and smartcards: millions of devices that must all speak the same new language of security.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n \u201f<\/span>\n We can\u2019t wait until the quantum computers are here. By then, it will be too late to migrate<\/strong>\u201d\n<\/blockquote>\n
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Peter Roenne<\/p>\n\n\n

Head of APSIA (Applied Security and Information Assurance) research group at SnT<\/p>\n\n

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\nReal-world stakes\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The implications reach far beyond computer science. Today, digital sovereignty<\/strong> defines national power and being late to secure communications means more than data loss – it means vulnerability. Sensitive information such as medical records, financial transactions, and even government communications could be intercepted today and decrypted later, once quantum computers mature: This is a strategy cybersecurity experts call \u201charvest now, decrypt later.\u201d<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why the European Commission<\/strong>, under initiatives led by Oscar Diez, is prioritising quantum-safe networks<\/strong> across Europe. These include projects like EuroQCI<\/strong> (the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure) <\/a>and new PQC standardisation<\/strong> efforts aligned with international frameworks like the US NIST process<\/strong>. \u201cWe are not only preparing for quantum computers,\u201d Diez noted, \u201cwe are also working to ensure Europe keeps its autonomy and trust in its digital systems.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nEurope\u2019s race against time <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The timeline is tight. As Diez pointed out, the Commission expects EU member states to begin transitioning to quantum-resistant standards by the end of next year<\/strong>, with full adoption across key infrastructures by the early 2030s<\/strong>. The United States, United Kingdom, and Australia have set similar deadlines in a rare global consensus that underscores how universal the challenge has become. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But implementing quantum-safe communication is far from trivial. QKD – often touted as \u201cunbreakable\u201d – is still limited by distance<\/strong>, cost<\/strong>, and trust in hardware<\/strong>. It also demands a level of cooperation among European member states that is not always straightforward. \u201cEurope is excellent at building infrastructure,\u201d Diez said candidly, \u201cbut not always at commercialising it or unifying it under one approach.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, Luxembourg researchers are helping design hybrid solutions<\/strong> that combine classical and post-quantum methods, ensuring security even during the transition. As Coron explained, these \u201ctwo-layer\u201d systems ensure that if one cryptographic scheme is ever broken, the other still holds the line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n \u201f<\/span>\n Hybrid encryption lets us build bridges rather than walls – security that evolves instead of collapses<\/strong>.\u201d\n<\/blockquote>\n
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Jean-S\u00e9bastien Coron<\/p>\n\n\n

Head of the Applied Crypto Group (ACG) at the FSTM<\/p>\n\n

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\nFrom trust to transparency\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Much of the discussion circled back to trust;<\/strong> in systems, in suppliers, and in verification. As Arash Atashpendar<\/strong>, Chief Technology Officer at itrust Abstractions Lab<\/a>, noted, the real challenge lies in implementation and certification<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s not enough to have a secure algorithm on paper. You must prove it\u2019s secure when deployed – in a chip, in a smartcard, in a satellite.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luxembourg is well-positioned here. Researchers at SnT are developing tools to verify and test cryptographic systems, ensuring they work as securely as designed. Open, auditable design, several speakers argued, is the best antidote to the opaque \u201cblack box\u201d hardware dominating parts of the global market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a geopolitical climate where technology, defence, and sovereignty increasingly overlap, such transparency is not just a scientific virtue, it\u2019s a strategic necessity. \u201cWe must be able to detect problems and react fast,\u201d emphasised Diez. \u201cThat\u2019s part of the trust cycle.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nLuxembourg\u2019s leadership in the quantum decade<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As moderator Lisa Burke<\/strong> reflected at the close, this Quantum Breakfast<\/em> felt different: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve discussed the promises of quantum before, but this one worried me the most because it\u2019s about trust, and trust touches everyone.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burke\u2019s words summed up the morning\u2019s message: quantum security is no longer just a scientific question but a shared responsibility. And Luxembourg<\/strong>, with its research a strength at the University of Luxembourg<\/strong> and SnT<\/strong>, can help Europe prepare for the future – building both the technology and the trust to secure it. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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