At PQShield, we’re incredibly proud of our research team, and it’s always exciting to see the impact they have. Recently, our Lead Cryptography Researcher, Dr Shuichi Katsumata was interviewed by MIT Technology Review, following his trajectory as an award-winning Innovator Under 35 in 2022.
At the time, Dr Katsumata was working in conjunction with AIST, Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, alongside PQShield, on quantum resistance for the Signal protocol. His work, tackling the problem of post-quantum security of messaging app Signal, will undoubtedly have an impact for millions of users worldwide – the core parts of the protocol are also used by Meta’s messenger app, WhatsApp, and Google voice communications.
Dr Katsumata’s background in mathematics at the Department of Mathematical Engineering and Physics (part of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo) helped pave the way for his breakthrough. The interview describes how it led him to the topic of matrices and lattices, his favourite part of mathematics, which in turn led to cryptography, and ultimately to PQShield. In fact, Dr Katsumata met PQShield founder, Dr Ali El Kaafarani at a workshop in Oxford, and quickly realized the potential of quantum-resistant encryption.
“I’ve become interested in how much society needs quantum-resistant cryptography. For it to be widely implemented in society, we need momentum from governments and large companies to move forward, but there are many pieces that we cannot move on our own. We are now consciously focusing on initiatives that can reach the public quickly, such as the project with Signal, which we can deploy collaboratively.”
It’s clear that the societal impact of quantum computing matters, and not just to Dr Katsumata. In this context, PQShield recently announced its participation in the NEDO program, aiming to implement quantum-resistant cryptography nationally in Japan, spearheaded by the Cyber Research Consortium (CRC). Dr Katsumata will be in charge of CRC’s operations, working on the challenge of incorporating technology into Japanese infrastructure, as a promoter of quantum resistant cryptography.
For PQShield, it’s encouraging to see the trajectory of our team, and particularly the impact we have on a national and international level. With world-class innovation, solutions that will make a difference to millions of people, and ground-breaking research, we’re extremely proud to be blazing the trail towards quantum resistance in tomorrow’s world.