Catalonia prepares to protect itself from post-quantum era hackers

Barcelona"Quantum computers are in their infancy, but they are already beginning to pose a threat. Encrypted data can be captured today, and later, when we have a quantum computer, that information can be decrypted." Faced with this scenario, described by Enrique Sánchez, head of the European Union's Quantum Flagship (QCN) project, the Catalan government (Generalitat) wants to make things difficult for post-quantum hackers—that is, cybercriminals who, in the near—but unspecified—future, could use quantum technology to steal public data, such as information processed by the Palau de la Generalitat (the seat of the Catalan government). To this end, the government has proposed creating the Barcelona Quantum Ring, a pioneering network in Europe that will cost 8 million euros and will be protected against attacks that could be perpetrated using future quantum technologies. This system will include the Catalan government's main strategic centers, such as the headquarters of the Catalan Government, health services, security and emergency services, corporate data processing centers, Barcelona City Hall, and other research nodes. Broadly speaking, the initiative will consist of installing QKD (quantum key distribution) technology equipment on the existing communications network using mechanisms that, instead of relying solely on mathematical methods, utilize properties of light to generate and share keys between points in the network. According to the Catalan Government, this will allow for the detection of any interception attempt and the establishment of "communications with very high guarantees of confidentiality." The bidding process to find companies capable of installing this quantum key distribution network, which the Catalan Government expects will connect 12 nodes, was launched this Monday. The first four will be connected in 2027, and three of them are already confirmed to be the Palau de la Generalitat (the seat of the Catalan government), the Center for Telecommunications and Information Technologies (CTTI), and Egara, the central complex of the Mossos d'Esquadra (the Catalan police force) in Sabadell, where strategic command and the force's most specialized units are centralized. Later, the following are planned: the headquarters of the Catalan Tax Agency; the Mossos d'Esquadra police station in Les Corts – the Mossos' command center in Barcelona; CATNIX (Catalonia's neutral internet point for the entire Catalan government administration); Santa Madrona, which houses administrative services and cultural facilities; the Bonanova node, which houses the control infrastructure for the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat (FGC) network; and the Cerdanyola point, where data processing centers used by the Catalan government are located. With all this, the goal is for the Barcelona Quantum Ring to be ready in 2029.

Resilient Algorithms

Beyond the metropolitan area, the Cybersecurity Agency of Catalonia is also working to adapt the administration's algorithms and keys that protect data, documents, connections, and digital identities, reinforcing them with post-quantum cryptography. The goal is to be prepared for future quantum computers to potentially compromise current encryption systems. The project, which is already underway, has a budget of €1.2 million and will be the first initiative of its kind in a public administration in Spain.