Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

NXM Labs is making secure Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices for connected and autonomous vehicles. These devices are small and contain sensitive information and it is therefore critical to ensure these devices remain secure for the lifetime of the car. In their solution, NXM also uses a blockchain based authentication mechanism. Both IoT and blockchain technologies use encryption techniques for confidentiality and integrity of the information, but the currently deployed encryption standards are vulnerable against future quantum computers. Therefore, this project aims at designing techniques to make IoT and blockchain quantum-resistant using a combination of classical and quantum resistant cryptographic approaches. As an IoT world becomes closer to reality, the necessity of ensuring the security of its communication and data becomes increasingly important. Generations of devices will have been made and be in use while quantum computers become more sophisticated and powerful. As such, protecting IoT devices against future quantum attacks in the present is a priority. Another aspect of this project focuses more effective and efficient strategies for communications among connected vehicles that will be developed alongside the quantum-resistant technologies and will ensure the future security and efficiency of NXM's technologies moving forward.