Quantum computing is moving fast. Alongside its promise, it brings a fundamental challenge: the risk of breaking much of today’s digital security. Large parts of Europe’s digital infrastructure still rely on encryption schemes that were never designed for the quantum era. This is not a distant or abstract concern. Critical infrastructures, including transport and industrial systems, energy networks, finance, healthcare, and communications, depend on cryptographic mechanisms that will become vulnerable as quantum capabilities mature. Many of these systems rely on embedded and edge devices with lifecycles measured in decades. They are expected to remain operational long after current cryptographic standards are no longer considered secure.
Without timely action, future quantum attacks could compromise sensitive data, software updates, digital identities, and the trust relationships on which complex digital systems depend. Replacing cryptography in such environments is rarely simple. Constraints on processing power, memory, energy consumption, and system availability make security transitions especially difficult.
Post‑quantum cryptography is widely recognised as the long‑term solution. Yet most emerging standards have been developed with powerful, well‑provisioned computing platforms in mind. When applied to vehicles, industrial controllers, sensors, or remote infrastructure, these approaches often exceed what resource‑constrained systems can realistically support. In practice, post‑quantum algorithms may require more computing capacity than a vehicle control unit can provide, more memory than an embedded sensor can offer, or more energy than a battery‑powered edge device can sustain. This creates a clear gap between cryptographic theory and real‑world deployment.
How, then, can post‑quantum security be implemented across long‑lived, heterogeneous, and constrained digital systems, without compromising functionality or reliability?
▶️ Watch the full video to understand where FOCAL comes into play, and how the project addresses this challenge across the cloud‑to‑edge continuum and why this system‑level perspective is essential for Europe’s future digital resilience and long term technological sovereignty efforts.
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