adidas launches true wireless Headphones in the Middle East

• With this launch, adidas will introduce three new designs: adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC, adidas Z.N.E. 01, and adidas FWD-02 SPORT.

• The collection combines ergonomics with sleek, fashion-forward design, developed for those living active lifestyles, with each pair of headphones crafted to meet the demands of athletes, while offering all day comfort. 

Dubai, UAE. 29, March 2022: adidas, a global sports brand announces the introduction of game-changing adidas sport true wireless headphones in the Middle East market, through its exclusive distributor, shift electronics. The true wireless collection, which premiers with three core headphones - adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC, adidas Z.N.E. 01, and adidas FWD-02 SPORT - delivers the right combination of performance, design, functionality, and cutting-edge technology. 

Anchored in human-centered design, with a focus on technology innovation, function and fit, adidas and Zound Industries are determined to give athletes at every level the ultimate audio experience, in any field of play. 

The latest additions to their game-changing line-up of adidas Headphones, is the introduction of three true-wireless products developed to enhance sport performance while offering all-day comfort. 

In a world of distractions and restrictions in life, sport and music offer escapism, positivity, and an opportunity for self-betterment. Music is a creator’s catalyst, in full movement it empowers them to be themselves, feel free, be powerful, escape their busy lives or take their training to the next level. With no wires and adidas’ frictionless, ergonomic design, creators can turn up their movement to achieve their goals with the brand’s introductory true wireless products.

True wireless was a natural progression for the brand, which has always prioritized technology innovation, function, and fit to offer athletes of every level the ultimate audio experience. As a brand focused on both sport and lifestyle.

Ella Renneus, Designer at Zound Industries said: “True wireless is something we were eager to introduce to our line-up, but we took the necessary time to develop a product that really pushes the limits of current options and caters to those living active lifestyles. By offering superior sound, a fashionable look inspired by activewear, and advanced technology developed with athletes in mind, our newest products enhance users lives, while staying true to adidas’ DNA.”  

In his comments, Mazen Khanafer, Founder and Managing Director at shift electronics said: “shift is delighted to launch the new line-up of adidas headphones in the Middle East. We believe that true wireless collections will be the right choice for fitness enthusiasts in this region, Let’s Turn Up Movement!”

Product Specifications:

1. adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC, the noise-cancelling earbuds built to get you in the zone, retails for AED 849 and is a fully equipped true wireless earbuds engineered to meet the demands of training routines and everyday life head-on. 

The earbuds feature: 

• Noise Cancelling: Focus on the movement with Active Noise Cancelling, and switch to Awareness Mode when you want to stay in touch with your surroundings. 

• Made to measure: Interchangeable ear tips for a perfect fit 

• Versatile: On-and-off the field comfort to meet both the sport and lifestyle needs of athletes 

• Design: Emphasis on the look-and-feel of the product to match any activewear

• Long-lasting: 20H playtime (4.5H in buds + 15.5H in case)

2. adidas Z.N.E. 01, which retails for AED 749, is an accessible true wireless earbud that’s built to withstand various aspects of daily life, whether on the street, at the gym, or anywhere in between. The earbuds feature: 

• Intuitive: Ready-to-wear fit and functional stem for seamless wear

• Secure: Silicon sleeve for safe and secure fit on-the-go

• Inclusivity: Broad appeal in terms of use and fit to cater to the masses, while offering comfortable, all-day wear

• Attractive design: Sporty, yet fashionable design to match both active and business wear 

• Long-lasting: 25H playtime (5H in buds + 20H in case)

3. adidas FWD-02 SPORT, which allows athletes to push forward in their craft, retails for AED 449 and is a sleek pair of true wireless earbuds designed to enhance the performance of runners. The earbuds offer superior sound and a variety of features for runners of all levels, such as:

• Built to last: Breathable mesh fabric to allow proper drying of the product and a Detachable lid that removes the risk of the case breaking 

• Awareness mode: Made with outdoor workouts in mind, Awareness mode lets in ambient noise. Switch it off when all you want is the music

• Made to measure: Interchangeable ear tips and wings for a perfect fit 

• Seamless: Force sensor and IPX5-rating to ensure intuitive controls that are sweat-proof, glove-friendly, and always responsive 

• Slim: Thin and lightweight case for easy storage 

• Long-lasting: 25H playtime (6H in buds + 19 in case)

adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC, adidas Z.N.E. 01, adidas FWD-02 SPORT and more, are available now for purchase in select stores in the Middle East and at https://dxb.net /adidas-headphones

 

About shift electronics

shift electronics is a leading tech & lifestyle distributor in the Middle East, focusing on pure value-added distribution. shift represents over 60 premium brands through an unparalleled level of service, support, logistics and competitive pricing. shift’s rapid expansion and commitment to service excellence has positioned it as the market leader in the region and a favourite source of premium products.

About adidas 

adidas is a global leader in the sporting goods industry. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany, the company employs more than 61,000 people across the globe and generated sales of € 21.2 billion in 2021. 

About Zound Industries

Zound Industries designs and develops speakers and headphones under the brand names adidas, Marshall and Urbanears. With a strong focus on innovative technology and user-centred design, Zound has launched a wide range of iconic, award-winning products. Zound currently has around 260 employees, with offices in Stockholm, New York, London, Paris, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. In 2021, their turnover reached about SEK 2.15 billion.

For questions or more information please contact: info@shift.ae

The Enhanced Audi A8 and S8 Make Regional Debut

• Upgraded safety with a progressive technology experience and intelligent functions

• The Audi A8 and S8 were showcased in Dubai 

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (31 March, 2022) — Audi Middle East presented its latest flagship luxury models, the Audi A8 and S8 in Dubai exclusively ahead of their official market introductions. 

The company with the four rings has intensively redesigned the new flagship sedans to become the benchmark for luxury in its current fleet. The new high-end headlights and taillights inspire with innovative functions and form the apex of the A8 and S8’s established technology portfolio, creating a contemporary and user-oriented experience – whether for passengers or drivers. 

Carsten Bender, Managing Director of Audi Middle East, commented “With the launch of the Audi A8 and S8, Audi is creating a benchmark that combines both the worlds of uber-luxury and performance. They are flagship models that promise a first-class experience for passengers and drivers alike, perfectly aligning our visions of progress and innovation in one.” 

The unveiling of the new Audi A8 and S8 models perfectly coincided with the surprise showing of the Audi skysphere, a concept car perfectly illustrating the brand’s vision for the progressive luxury segment of the future, with features that include autonomous driving, a revolutionary interior and a seamless digital ecosystem.

The Audi A8 and S8 are sedans that represent status and exude authority – now that they have been reimagined, their exteriors are even more representative, confident, and athletic, while their interiors are more premium than ever before.

Both models are set to arrive in the region later this year, and are symbols of status and prestige for the brand. The fourth generation of the luxury sedan, which Audi introduced in 2017, raised it to a new level with respect to power, look, and equipment, remaining the progressive face of the brand until today.

The A8 and S8 meet the needs of a changing customer base. In both models, the premium concept is defined first and foremost by an emotional and comfortable interior experience, coupled with new and established technologies. The S8 sees this exemplified from a pure performance standpoint, inspired by Audi’s racing heritage, combining progressive luxury with dynamic athleticism.

Please visit https://www.audi-me.com/me/web/meen.html for more details and reservations ahead of the market introduction.

New Guinness® World Record - World’s Biggest Bug Hotel

 

     

DUROR, Scotland-Monday 4 April 2022



(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Monday 28th March 2022, conservation company Highland Titles achieved a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORD® for the world’s biggest bug/insect hotel, which means Highland Titles are “Officially Amazing!”®


The 199.9 cubic metre structure is located on the Highland Titles Nature Reserve at Duror in the Scottish Highlands and already houses a variety of species. It breaks the previous world record of 89.37 cubic metres, which was held by the Polish Association of Developers in Warsaw, Poland.

The world record-breaking bug hotel was made using felled sitka spruce from the nature reserve, masonry bricks, bamboo canes, wood chips, forest bark, wildflower seeds, clay pipes and strawberry netting.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8f7ca5a3-5c5c-4d71-a475-daceb2ca6aff

“This record-breaking initiative is about the environmental message,” says Douglas Wilson, CEO of Highland Titles. “We bought this land in 2006 when it was a poorly performing commercial forestry plantation of non-native Sitka Spruce.

“Like much of the Highlands, it was inappropriately planted in the late 1980s with no thought or consideration given to biodiversity. Using these same trees for something that puts nature first symbolises that the world has changed, and we hope our efforts will inspire others. We’d be delighted if someone beat our record in the future!”

Nature Reserve Manager, Stewart Borland, was part of a team of 7 who were involved in its construction which started in September 2021 and was completed in early March 2022. In addition to the environmental message, Mr Borland hopes that it encourages people to visit:

“In 2019, we had more than 10,000 visitors to the nature reserve from all over the world. The pandemic really put a dent in our visitor numbers, so we hope that this - together with the new track which is adored by cyclists - will encourage people to visit now that travel is opening up again. The more visitors we get, the more people can see the work that we're doing.”

About Highland Titles

Highland Titles began in 2006 with a mission to conserve Scotland, one square foot at a time. The conservation project - now encompassing 5 nature reserves and over 800 acres of Scottish wilderness - is funded by selling gift-sized souvenir plots of land.

The Highland Titles community of souvenir plot owners are invited to style themselves as the Lords and Ladies of Glencoe™. Over 300,000 plots of land have been sold to date.

The Highland Titles Nature Reserve near Glencoe is an official 4* tourist attraction and, according to Trip Advisor, one of the most popular nature reserves in the country.

رقم قياسي عالمي جديد في موسوعة غينيس – أكبر فندق للحشرات في العالم

دورور، إسكتلندا، 31 مارس 2022 – (جلوب نيوز واير):

 جّلت "هايلاند تايتلز" المتخصصة في الحفاظ على البيئة رقماً قياسياً عالمياً جديداً في موسوعة "غينيس" لأكبر فندق للبق والحشرات في العالم يوم الاثنين 28 مارس 2022. لتغدو "هايلاند تايتلز" شركةً "مذهلةً رسمياً".

تتوفّر الصورة المرافقة لهذا البيان الصحفي على الرابط الإلكتروني التالي:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c6d0e716-dbd2-4737-934d-660fac898b70

ويقع هذا الهيكل الذي تبلغ مساحته 199.9 متراً مكعباً في محمية "هايلاند تايتلز" الطبيعية في دورور في المرتفعات الإسكتلندية وهو موطنٌ لمجموعة متنوعة من الأنواع. وحطم هذا المبنى الرقم القياسي العالمي السابق لمبنى بمساحة 89.37 متر مكعب سجّلته الرابطة البولندية للمطورين بوارسو في بولندا.

وشُيّد فندق الحشرات الذي حطم الرقم القياسي العالمي باستخدام خشب التنوب السيتكي المتساقط في المحمية الطبيعية وطوب البناء وعُصي الخيزران ورقائق الخشب ولحاء أشجار الغابات وبذور الأزهار البرية والأنابيب الطينية والشِباك المستخدمة لحماية الفراولة.

تتوفّر الصورة المرافقة لهذا البيان الصحفي على الرابط الإلكتروني التالي:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8f7ca5a3-5c5c-4d71-a475-daceb2ca6aff

وفي هذا السياق، قال دوغلاس ويلسون، الرئيس التنفيذي لشركة "هايلاند تايتلز": "تحمل هذه المبادرة التي حطّمت الرقم القياسي رسالةً بيئية مهمة. وعندما اشترينا هذه الأرض عام 2006، كانت مزرعة غابات تجارية ضعيفة الأداء لأشجار التنوب السيتكي غير المتوطّنة".

وأضاف قائلاً: "على غرار معظم المرتفعات، زُرعت هذه الأرض على نحو غير ملائم في أواخر الثمانينيات دون أي مراعاة أو اهتمام بالتنوع الحيوي. ويمثل استخدام هذه الأشجار ذاتها لغرضٍ يعطي الأولوية للطبيعة تحولًا نوعياً في العالم، ونأمل أن تبثّ جهودنا الإلهام في نفوس الآخرين. ونؤكّد أنّنا سنكون غايةً في الساعدة إن تمكّن أحدّ من تحطيم رقمنا القياسي في المستقبل".

وشارك ستيوارت بورلاند، مدير المحمية الطبيعية، ضمن فريق من سبعة أشخاص عملوا في المشروع الذي انطلق في سبتمبر 2021 واكتمل في مطلع مارس 2022. وبالإضافة إلى الرسالة البيئية، يأمل السيد بورلاند أن يُلهم الفندق الناس لزيارة المحمية:

"استقبلت المحمية الطبيعية عام 2019، أكثر من 10 آلاف زائر من جميع أنحاء العالم. وأحدثت الجائحة تأثيراً سلبياً على أعداد زوارنا، ولذلك نأمل أن يشجع هذا الفندق بالإضافة إلى المسار الجديد الذي يعشقه راكبو الدراجات، الناس على زيارة المحمية الآن غداة رفع قيود السفر. فكلما زاد عدد الزوار الذين نستقبلهم، زاد عدد الأشخاص الذين يمكنهم رؤية العمل الذي نُنجزه".

القمة العالمية لصناعة الطيران 2022 تكشف عن جدول أعمالها وقائمة الخبراء المشاركين

أبوظبي، الإمارات العربية المتحدة - 04 أبريل 2022: كشفت القمة العالمية لصناعة الطيران، التي تستضيفها شركة مبادلة للاستثمار، عن جدول أعمالها وقائمة المتحدثين المشاركين في دورتها لعام 2022، والتي ستقام في أبوظبي في الفترة ما بين 24 و26 مايو 2022 بقصر الإمارات.

وتقام القمة تحت شعار "الرقمنة محرك يعزز عودة القطاع" والتي تتضمن جدول أعمال تشمل كلمات رئيسية وجلسات نقاش يشارك فيها مجموعة من الخبراء والقادة وصناع القرار والتي تتناول أبرز الفرص والتحديات التي تواجهها قطاعات الطيران والفضاء والدفاع.

ووقعت شركة صناعات الفضاء الإسرائيلية، المصنّع الرائد في قطاعي الفضاء والطيران، والتي تشارك للمرة الأولى في القمة، اتفاقيةً أصبحت بموجبها شريك الفضاء للقمة العالمية لصناعة الطيران، في خطوة مهمة تعكس فرص التعاون والشراكة بين الإمارات وإسرائيل في القطاعات التكنولوجية المتقدمة.

من جانبه، قال بوعز ليفي، الرئيس التنفيذي لشركة صناعات الفضاء الإسرائيلية (IAI): "نسعى من خلال المشاركة في القمة العالمية لصناعة الطيران إلى التواصل مع القادة العالميين في قطاعات الطيران والفضاء، كما سنقوم من خلال مشاركتنا بتسليط الضوء على تعزيز علاقتنا مع مختلف الجهات العاملة في هذه القطاعات على مستوى دولة الإمارات وغيرها من دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي، وذلك بالتزامن مع تحقيق المزيد من التعاون مع شركائنا على مستوى المنطقة والعالم، بما يسهم في مشاركة الخبرات بشكل أسرع ومواصلة الابتكار للوصول إلى آفاق جديدة". 

ويركّز اليوم الأول من القمة على تعزيز التعاون في قطاع الطيران بهدف الاستفادة من الفرص القائمة. وتناقش جلسات اليوم الأول دور التكنولوجيا الرقمية في دفع النمو الصناعي، والأشكال الجديدة من وقود الطيران المستدام، والنمو المستقبلي في قطاع الدفاع وجهود تحديث أساطيل شركات الطيران وغيرها من المواضيع الهامة. 

وتتطرق جلسات اليوم الثاني من القمة لمناقشة أهمية الاستثمار في جهود البحث والتطوير، والتكنولوجيا الناشئة، وسبل دعم الابتكار، وأبرز المجالات النامية وطائرات الجيل الثالث، والطائرات الخفيفة، وتحقيق الاستدامة في أنشطة الطيران الخاصة بالأعمال. 

وتسلط القمة في يومها الثالث والأخير الضوء على أهمية التقنيات الاستراتيجية وقدرات التصنيع اللازمة لبناء مراكز الطيران العالمية، حيث تستضيف القمة جلسات تناقش مواضيع مثل مجالات الفضاء والفضاء الرقمي والقدرات العسكرية الفضائية والخدمات الفضائية، وسلاسل الإمداد والتوزيع، وبناء الشبكات المرنة والديناميكية، وتوظيف تقنية سلاسل الكتل (البلوك تشين) في قطاع الفضاء، ورقمنة عمليات الشحن الجوي وأنشطة الطيران القائمة على البيانات. 

وتضم قائمة المتحدثين في القمة مجموعةً من كبار الخبراء وصنّاع القرار من شركات الخطوط الجوية الإقليمية والدولية، والشركات الصناعية والخدمية، بما في ذلك أندرس كارب نائب الرئيس التنفيذي لشركة ساب، وباسكال سوريس الرئيس والمدير التنفيذي لشركة تاليس للتنمية الدولية، وعلي الهاشمي الرئيس التنفيذي لشركة الياه للاتصالات الفضائية "الياه سات"، وكولجيت غاتا-أورا رئيس شركة بوينج في الشرق الأوسط وتركيا وأفريقيا، وإبراهيم كوش الرئيس التنفيذي للخطوط الجوية العربية السعودية، و ايرل لورانس مدير مكتب تكامل نظم الطائرات الآلية التابع لإدارة الطيران الاتحادية في أميركا، وكارميلو لو فارو، رئيس وحدة الأعمال العالمية للمواد المركبة في سولفاي، والسيد جون آر واتريت عميد جامعة امبري ريدل للطيران العالمي.

وخلال الاجتماع الأخير لأعضاء مجلس الاستشاري قمة العالمية لصناعة الطيران 2022، تمحورت نقاط النقاش الرئيسية حول تأثير حرب أوكرانيا على سلسلة التوريد والطيران العالمي، مع تسليط الضوء على الخطوات التي يجب اتخاذها للمساعدة في التعامل مع الأزمة الحالية. كما أكد أعضاء المجلس الاستشاري على الحاجة إلى الإنتاج المستمر خلال هذه الظروف الصعبة، وضرورة الالتزام بممارسات الأمن والامتثال. وقام المجلس بمناقشة كيفية تفعيل دور القمة كمنصةٍ فعالة في القطاع للتعاون مع الشركات الناشئة وكيفية دعم نمو القطاع. وسلطت المجموعة الضوء على الميزة التنافسية التي تتميز بها إمارة أبوظبي في قطاع الطيران، مما تمكنها من الوصول إلى رأس المال والمواهب في القطاع.

وفي هذا الصدد، قال منصور جناحي، الرئيس التنفيذي لمجموعة سند رئيس مجلس إدارة اللجنة الاستشارية للقمة العالمية لصناعة الطيران: "في الوقت الذي نسعى خلاله إلى تطوير الشراكات الهادفة لتعزيز حضورنا على مستوى المنطقة، تلعب التكنولوجيا الرقمية دوراً محورياً في رسم ملامح مستقبل قطاع الطيران. كما نشهد الكثير من الفرص التي تؤكد على ارتباط نمونا إلى حد كبير بعملية دعم سلاسل التوريد المحلية والعالمية في المستقبل. لذلك تحظى القمة العالمية لصناعة الطيران بأهمية كبيرة، لما تتمتع به من دور حيوي في تحقيق الترابط على مستوى القطاع وتمهيد الطريق لبناء الشراكات والتعاون بين مختلف الأطراف".

وتتضمن دورة القمة للعام 2022 فعاليات جديدة، بما في ذلك جلسات مخصصة للشركات الناشئة وورش عمل تركّز على استقطاب الاستثمارات في المشاريع والتقنيات الجديدة. كما تنظم القمة أيضًا برنامج قادة الجيل القادم، والموجه لبناء القدرات وتنمية مهارات الطلاب والخريجين والمهنيين الشباب في قطاعات الطيران والدفاع والفضاء.

Research recalibrates expectations for post-quantum key exchange replacement

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 30 March 2021 – Diffie-Hellman revolutionized cryptography in 1976 with a practical method for a secure key exchange protocol. However, researchers are concerned that future quantum computers could compromise the protocol. Therefore, they are exploring a variety of post-quantum replacements. 

One approach, called CSIDH, shows promise as a drop-in replacement for the cryptography used in Diffie-Hellman. CSIDH is an isogeny-based protocol that performs walks on a mathematical space known as a supersingular elliptic curve graph. To visualize this scenario, the elliptic curves depicted in Figure 1 are Alice’s and Bob’s public parameters and keys, while the exact path that connects those curves becomes their secret keys.

CSIDH's downside is that it is vulnerable to a powerful quantum technique called a Kuperberg attack. There is a broad debate on how complex CSIDH must be to resist such an attack. Estimates have varied dramatically on the size of the prime numbers used to generate secure keys, which significantly impacts computer processing speed. 

Now researchers at the Technology Innovation Institute’s (TII) Cryptography Research Center, in collaboration with a researcher from the University of Oxford, have conducted an in-depth analysis of a refined CSIDH implementation. They also tested their setting against an optimized Kuperberg attack implementation. They found that CSIDH is not as secure as they initially hoped but is also not as vulnerable as other researchers suggested. 

Prof. Francisco Rodríguez Henríquez, Technical Director of the Cryptography Research Centre at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), said, “The quantum analysis we have here is arguably more refined than prior research, which is why we came up with different numbers.”

The researchers also clarified the importance of relatively neglected factors like quantum memory in post-quantum cryptography. For example, people have not explored the tradeoffs between maximum quantum bit-depth, bit-width, and memory. Rodríguez-Henríquez said, “This research also demonstrates the need to take into consideration quantum hardware architectures in assessing the security provided by post-quantum cryptography.” 

A promising new key-exchange

Secure communication on the Internet requires securely exchanging keys between two parties. This reduces the risk that a hacker could listen in on the exchange of a secret key to hack a secure communication between them. The Diffie-Helman key exchange method has become the most popular approach because it could provide robust security with minimal computational overhead. But it is vulnerable to future attacks, which could take place when quantum computers become more practical. “CSIDH is a promising key exchange protocol whose security analysis must be examined carefully to address concerns about attacks launched by quantum computers,” Rodríguez-Henríquez said.

Researchers have been exploring a variety of potential replacements using various cryptographic techniques such as lattice-based, code-based, and isogeny-based cryptographic methods. They all bring different tradeoffs in terms of computational performance, communication overhead, and key size. In 2018, researchers devised CSIDH, which shows promise since it can work with short public and private keys and minimal communications overhead. However, it is not as computationally efficient as other approaches. 

It can also function as a drop-in replacement for Diffie-Helman. Other methods need to add extra communications round trips to perform key encapsulation operations. 

One significant aspect of CSIDH’s computational requirements is the size of the prime numbers required to offer reasonable security guarantees. The original authors speculated that a prime number of 512-bits seemed to provide sufficient security against known quantum attacks and that a 1,024-bit prime number would provide a buffer. However, other researchers speculated that at least 6,000-to-8,000-bit prime numbers would be required. This is a significant difference since the computational cost of the underlying arithmetic operations increases quadratically. A 512-bit prime would need about a tenth of a second on a competent computer, while an 8,000-bit prime could take tens of seconds. This is not practical for mass adoption. 

Clarifying the problem

The TII researchers decided to clarify the problem by combining all best practices to improve CSIDH and make it the most performant implementation to date. Then they developed an elaborate software library to implement the fastest quantum algorithm for attacking this. 

In terms of improving the algorithm, they combined various techniques discovered by earlier researchers, such as optimal strategies for computing isogenies, low exponents, and a new sub-quadratic Vélu formula for computing isogenies. Although prior research had quantified the impact of exponent strategy optimization and low exponents, no one had previously combined all these techniques together. 

Rodríguez-Henríquez said, “The idea was to implement the fastest possible CSIDH we could come out with.” 

Next, they refined the code to simulate the execution of the most efficient quantum Kuperberg attack possible, which they ran on a quantum simulator to test its performance. They found that a 4,000-bit prime number would be sufficient for achieving NIST level 1 of security, which is better than some more dire analysis but not quite as good as initially predicted. From a practical standpoint, this is the difference between about a third of a second and thirty seconds to run the algorithm on a standard computer. 

Rodríguez-Henríquez said, “People have known about Kuperberg, but we dove more deeply into how to code it into a quantum algorithm.”

The importance of [quantum] memory

But the researchers also stumbled across the significance of another factor that has not been widely explored in quantum security – quantum memory. “Some of these attacks would need a quantum memory that would occupy all of the New York City area,” Rodríguez-Henríquez said.

This shines a light on an important technical aspect of quantum computers that has not been widely considered in security research. Most popular descriptions of quantum computers today characterize the need to have multiple quantum gates that manipulate the quantum information in the qubits. The number of quantum gates characterizes the width of the quantum circuit. The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) generally uses another factor, MAXDEPTH, which reflects how much circuit depth a quantum computer would need to keep a calculation running to compromise a cryptographic algorithm. This is important since quantum calculations tend to degrade quickly. 

But to date, precious little research has gone into exploring the quantum memory requirements, which are sometimes more of a factor than width or depth. Rodríguez-Henríquez believes that future research will need to consider limitations around width, depth, memory, and how cryptographic oracles are implemented to further refine post-quantum security. 

Rodríguez-Henríquez said, “We are concerned that this is not captured in NIST security considerations. We must agree on how these attacks will be realized as a community. This is a hard task because we still do not have quantum computers, and we are still imagining how they will look. The effectiveness of these attacks will depend on the architecture and memory handling that these quantum computers will have.”

He is also hopeful that this research can inspire other researchers to push CSIDH research further forward. TII’s researchers have combined all the best protocols into one state-of-the-art CSIDH algorithm and published it for others to explore. “This is a source where you can find all the tricks put together,” Rodríguez-Henríquez said. 

Caption: Creating an isogeny-based shared secret between the users Alice and Bob. The left-hand side image shows Alice and Bob’s public/secret keys consisting of a publicly known elliptic curve (public key) and a secret path to arrive at that elliptic curve (secret key). The right-hand side image shows Alice and Bob agreeing on a specific elliptic curve (their shared secret) after running a CSIDH key exchange protocol (Credit of this figure: Krijn Reijnders).