Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Post-Quantum Networks for Energy-eXfficient Transitions

Project description

Transitioning to post-quantum cryptography

While quantum computing offers the potential for cutting-edge developments in many fields, its ability to break existing encryption algorithms poses a serious threat to cybersecurity. Currently protected by public-key algorithms, private information and data are at risk of ‘harvest now, decrypt later’ attacks and undetected modification. To address this, the EU-funded PQ-NEXT project will establish a comprehensive framework that facilitates a smooth transition to post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) standards. To do so, it will develop a range of PQC algorithms, maintenance tools and a quantum programming language with high-performance simulation and hybrid quantum-classical optimisation. Ultimately, the project aims to safeguard financial, critical infrastructure, digital identities and telecommunication industries against quantum threats for large-scale pilots.

Objective

Cryptographic technologies and encrypted channel communications have become a standard security pre-requisite among government and industry protocols, schemes and infrastructure. Practical quantum computing, when available to cyber adversaries, will break the security of nearly all modern public-key cryptographic systems.
Practical quantum computing, when available to cyber adversaries, will break the security of nearly all modern public-key cryptographic systems. Consequently, all secret symmetric keys and private asymmetric keys that are now protected using current public-key algorithms, as well as the information protected under those keys, will be subject to exposure. This includes all recorded communications and other stored information protected by those public-key algorithms, the so-called Harvest Now Decrypt Later (HNDL) paradigm. Any information still considered to be private or otherwise sensitive will be vulnerable to exposure and undetected modification. Once exploitation of Shor’s algorithm becomes practical, protecting stored keys and data will require re-encrypting them with a quantum-resistant algorithm and deleting or physically securing “old” copies (e.g. backups). Integrity and sources of information will become unreliable unless they are processed or encapsulated (e.g. re-signed or timestamped) using a mechanism that is not vulnerable to quantum computing-based attacks.
PQ-NEXT will focus on developing a comprehensive framework to facilitate the seamless transition to post-quantum cryptographic standards. This includes creating a catalog of PQC algorithms, maintenance tools, and a quantum programming language with advanced features like high-performance simulation and hybrid quantum-classical optimization, ensuring crypto-agility and security against quantum threats for large-scale pilots, targeting the financial, critical infrastructure, digital identities and telco industries.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL3-2024-CS-01

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

"NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ""DEMOKRITOS"""
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 680 000,00
Address
END OF PATRIARCHOU GRIGORIOU E AND 27 NEAPOLEOS STREET
153 41 AGIA PARASKEVI
Greece

See on map

Region
Αττική Aττική Βόρειος Τομέας Αθηνών
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 680 000,00

Participants (18)

My booklet 0 0