FEEC BUT Gave a Glimpse into Its Quantum Kitchen

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication of Brno University of Technology became the venue for a significant meeting of cybersecurity experts on June 16, 2025. The workshop titled "Post-Quantum Cryptography in Practice" attracted over 50 experts from academic, governmental, and private sectors, who gathered to discuss the future of encryption in the era of quantum computers.

Prof. Jan Hajný presents the high-speed hybrid encryptor. | Author: Nikola Číková

Quantum Threat Requires New Solutions

The development of quantum technologies brings not only new possibilities but also fundamental challenges for current cryptography. Traditional encryption methods, upon which the security of most digital communication relies today, could be broken by quantum computers in the future. Therefore, the development of post-quantum cryptography – encryption algorithms resistant to quantum computer attacks – is one of the key priorities of cybersecurity.

First Public Demonstration of Hybrid Encryptor

Part of the workshop was the first public demonstration of a high-speed hybrid encryptor that combines quantum and post-quantum technologies. This breakthrough device was presented by Prof. Jan Hajný with a team from the Department of Telecommunications, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication, BUT:

"The quantum revolution and the associated threats are no longer a distant future – they are here and now. With our post-quantum encryptor, we show that Czech science can be at the forefront of technologies that will protect our data from quantum era threats. This is the first step on the path to practical deployment of quantum-safe solutions in the real world."

The encryptor represents a unique combination of two worlds – it uses both principles of quantum mechanics for securing key transmission and modern post-quantum algorithms resistant to attacks from future quantum computers.

The development of this device is taking place within the NESPOQ project (www.nespoq.cz), which is supported by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic. The project focuses on research and development of technologies for quantum-safe communication and represents one of the key Czech contributions to the global effort to ensure cybersecurity in the post-quantum era.

Workshop Post-Quantum Cryptography in Practice, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication, BUT. | Author: Nikola Číková

Wide Spectrum of Experts and Topics

The workshop was opened by Assoc. Prof. Lukáš Malina from BUT, who introduced participants to post-quantum cryptography issues and outlined current trends in this field. The program continued with a diverse mix of presentations from leading experts from various sectors.

Tomáš Vávra from OpenSSL Corporation presented perspectives on implementing post-quantum algorithms into the widely used OpenSSL cryptographic library. Jakub Onderka from the National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NÚKIB) focused on regulatory aspects and recommendations for transitioning to post-quantum cryptography in the Czech environment.

Practical experience from the financial sector was brought by Jiří Pavlů from Raiffeisenbank, who outlined challenges associated with migrating banking systems to quantum-resistant algorithms. Dora Floderová from S.ICZ presented the cloud service provider's perspective on implementing post-quantum solutions.

International perspective was added by Jiří Pětník from IBM and Petr Kunstat from Thales, who shared global trends and commercial solutions in the field of post-quantum cryptography. Anežka Pejlová from Monet+ then presented applications of these technologies in payment systems.

Rump Session and Lively Discussion

The workshop also included an informal rump session, where other significant experts presented. Petr Švenda from Masaryk University presented current research projects, Jan Rada from NÚKIB focused on strategic aspects of cybersecurity, and Lubomír Wassermann from 3 Key Company explained commercial implementations of post-quantum solutions.

Building National Capacities

The workshop was supported by the NCC-CZ (National Coordination Centre - the Czech Republic) project titled "Capacity Building and Cooperation Support in Post-Quantum Cryptography." This project is part of a broader initiative aimed at strengthening Czech capacities in cybersecurity and ensuring readiness for the transition to post-quantum technologies.

The participation of representatives from academia, government, and private sector confirms that post-quantum cryptography is not merely a theoretical problem, but a practical challenge that requires coordinated effort from all stakeholders.

Available Materials

All presentations from the workshop are freely available at: https://owncloud.cesnet.cz/index.php/s/5zQqmbZRa41RAuV

This workshop confirmed the position of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication at BUT in Brno as a significant center of research in quantum technologies and showed that the Czech Republic is actively contributing to solving one of the most important challenges of contemporary cybersecurity. The combination of theoretical research with practical applications, as demonstrated by the post-quantum encryptor, represents the path that the field of modern cryptography will take in the coming years.

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"Supported within the framework of financial support to third parties (FSTP) under the National Coordination Centre in the Czech Republic project (NCC-CZ, project number 101127941) co-financed by the Digital Europe Programme."