Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research pillarof the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), today announced that its Cryptography Research Centre (CRC)has built the UAE’s first nationaland sovereign crypto library. The milestone is set toenablethe countryto safeguardvital and confidential sources of information.
The development follows a series ofrapid announcements at Technology Innovation Institute since the first Advanced Technology Research Council board meeting in August 2020.
Researchers atCryptography Research Centre, one ofTechnology Innovation Institute’s initialseven dedicatedresearch centres, have already releasedmultiple versions of the crypto library and are working on its seamless integration into the UAE’s critical digitalinfrastructure.
Cryptography Research Centre currently employs and collaborates with scientists in multiple crucialfields of cryptography such as post-quantum cryptography (PQC), hardware-based cryptography, lightweight cryptography, cryptanalysis, cryptographic protocols,and cloud encryption schemes, amongst others. The Centreis also one of the few global centres that brings together theoretical and applied cryptographers in a research-oriented setting for innovative outcomes.
Speakingabout the announcement, His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General ofAdvanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), said: “The ever-evolving sophistication of cyberattacks shouldnot be taken for granted. By developing a national crypto library in the UAE and integrating this within critical digital infrastructure, we can increase our security levels and build sovereign capability simultaneously.”
By leveraging a combination of custom symmetric and asymmetric cryptographic primitives, the national crypto library is designed, developed and testedto protect sensitive data and information. The library is a collection of algorithms thatcryptographersuse in a specific order to safeguard confidential and high-security information.
Dr Najwa Aaraj, Chief Researcherat Cryptography Research Centre, said:"The integration of the National Crypto Library with live systems will enable a more fluid security strategy across critical data-sensitive sectors such as finance, health-care, and telecommunications."
Technology Innovation Institute is a pioneering global research and development centre that focuses on applied research and new-age technology capabilities. The Institute has seven initial dedicated research centres in quantum, autonomous robotics, cryptography, advanced materials, digital security, directed energy and secure systems. By working with exceptional talent, universities, research institutions and industry partners from all over the world, the Institute connects an intellectual community and contributes to building an R&D ecosystem in Abu Dhabi and the UAE. The Institute reinforces Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s status as a global hub for innovation and contributes to the broader development of the knowledge- based economy.
