Grant: Alliance Grants

Quantum computers pose an existential threat to the security and privacy of our communication infrastructure due to their ability to break the public key cryptography algorithms used to establish secure communication channels. The design of quantum-resistant cryptography algorithms is underway, but it is a long path to bring an algorithm from an academic design to real-world adoption. Canadian companies and governments will need to transition to quantum-resistant cryptography over the next decade. The goal of this project is to accelerate the transition to quantum-resistant cryptography by providing research results that close the gap between what is provided by the literature and what is needed in practice, and give Canadian companies and governments a head-start in the transition to quantum-resistant cryptography. This project will develop methods to provide quantum-resistant confidentiality and quantum-resistant authentication using a variety of cryptographic techniques, including post-quantum cryptography, information-theoretic cryptography, and quantum key distribution. Researchers from the University of Calgary and the University of Waterloo along with partners from the City of Calgary, Entrust, RBC, and TELUS will work together to find solutions that work in real-world settings across a variety of sectors, provide interoperable, open-source software implementations, and participate in standardization at relevant standards bodies. We will construct demonstrations of quantum-resistant cryptography systems, building on the University of Waterloo's expertise in post-quantum cryptography and the University of Calgary's quantum key distribution testbed, to enable us to provide guidance to decision makers around Canada on how to safely transition to quantum-resistant cryptography and ensure a safe and secure Internet for Canadian citizens, businesses, and governments. Students and post-doctoral researchers involved in the project will be trained as experts in an emerging area of cybersecurity that will be a critical need for industry and governments.