ABU DHABI — Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research pillar of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), Tuesday announced that its Cryptography Research Centre (CRC) has built the UAE’s first national and sovereign crypto library. The milestone is set to enable the country to safeguard vital and confidential sources of information.

The development follows a series of rapid announcements at Technology Innovation Institute since the first Advanced Technology Research Council board meeting in August 2020.

Researchers at Cryptography Research Centre, one of Technology Innovation Institute’s initial seven dedicated research centers, have already released multiple versions of the crypto library and are working on its seamless integration into the UAE’s critical digital infrastructure.

Cryptography Research Centre currently employs and collaborates with scientists in multiple crucial fields of cryptography such as post-quantum cryptography (PQC), hardware-based cryptography, lightweight cryptography, cryptanalysis, cryptographic protocols, and cloud encryption schemes, amongst others.

The center is also one of the few global centres that brings together theoretical and applied cryptographers in a research-oriented setting for innovative outcomes.

Speaking about the announcement, Faisal Al Bannai, secretary general of Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), said: “The ever-evolving sophistication of cyberattacks should not 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 tested to protect sensitive data and information. The library is a collection of algorithms that cryptographers use in a specific order to safeguard confidential and high-security information.

Dr Najwa Aaraj, chief researcher at 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 centers 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. — SG