CRITIC

Abstract

CRITIC is a European research and industrial integration project focused on advancing information security and cybersecurity in industrial environments through the adoption of disruptive and emerging technologies. The project aims to generate new knowledge and practical solutions to improve the protection, evaluation, and safe operation of connected industrial devices, strengthening their resilience against current and future cyber threats.

A key focus of the project is the assessment and integration of advanced cryptographic mechanisms suitable for real industrial and Operational Technology (OT) contexts.

Details

I participate in the CRITIC project as a researcher and developer, contributing to the research, integration, and validation of post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms within Utimaco Hardware Security Modules (HSMs).

My work focuses on moving post-quantum cryptography from theoretical analysis to production-ready industrial deployments. This includes the practical integration of PQC schemes—such as lattice-based algorithms—into HSM-backed cryptographic infrastructures, ensuring that they meet the stringent security, performance, and reliability requirements of industrial systems.

As part of this effort, I assess the feasibility, performance impact, and security guarantees of PQC-enabled HSMs in real operational environments. This work contributes to strengthening industrial and OT systems against the long-term threats posed by quantum computing, while maintaining compatibility with existing security architectures and compliance requirements.

Through these contributions, CRITIC advances the adoption of post-quantum cryptography as a viable and future-proof security layer for connected industrial devices.

Technologies

• Programming Languages: Java

• Frameworks: Spring Boot

• Cryptography: Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), lattice-based algorithms

• HSM & Secure Hardware: Utimaco HSM

• Domains: Industrial cybersecurity, Operational Technology (OT), quantum-resistant security