UAE builds national quantum defence layer
New solution maps cryptographic assets across critical national infrastructur
#UAE #cybersecurity — The UAE Cyber Security Council has partnered with Abu Dhabi-based cryptography company QuantumGate to launch the Crypto Discovery Tool (CDT), a nationally deployed solution that maps, inventories, and continuously monitors cryptographic assets across critical national infrastructure. The new tool forms the operational backbone of the UAE’s National Post-Quantum Migration Programme, positioning the country as one of the first nations globally to operationalise a coordinated, large-scale strategy for transitioning to quantum-safe security. CDT will also power a new UAE National PQC Index, giving the Cyber Security Council real-time visibility of the country’s national cryptographic posture.
SO WHAT? — The quantum computing threat to existing encryption is not hypothetical, it is a matter of timing. Sufficiently powerful quantum computers will be capable of breaking the cryptographic standards that currently protect financial systems, government infrastructure, health records, and national security assets. The window to migrate to quantum-resistant encryption before that happens is open now, but it requires knowing exactly what cryptography is in use, where it sits, and how vulnerable it is. That is precisely what the the new Crypto Discovery Tool does. By deploying it at national scale, across both public and private critical sectors simultaneously, the UAE puts itself ahead of most governments in preparing for a threat that few have yet moved beyond strategy documents to address.
KEY POINTS:
The UAE Cyber Security Council and QuantumGate have launched the Crypto Discovery Tool, a nationally deployed solution that automates the discovery, inventory management, and continuous monitoring of cryptographic assets across the UAE’s critical national infrastructure. The introduction of the new tool is a significant milestone in the country’s post-quantum cybersecurity roadmap.
CDT has been customised to requirements set by the UAE National Cryptography Center, making it a sovereign, purpose-built solution rather than an off-the-shelf commercial product adapted for national use. This positions the UAE as one of the first nations globally to operationalise a coordinated, large-scale post-quantum migration strategy.
The tool provides organisations with a comprehensive map of their cryptographic environment, automating discovery of embedded cryptography across complex digital infrastructures. This visibility enables organisations to identify vulnerabilities, manage cryptographic risk, and build a structured path toward quantum-resilient encryption standards.
Continuous monitoring is built into the platform from the outset. CDT maintains real-time visibility of cryptographic assets, keeps organisations audit-ready, and ensures ongoing compliance as the UAE Cyber Security Council issues new post-quantum cryptography directives. Its compliance engine is modular and updatable, designed to evolve alongside the standards it enforces.
CDT will power a new UAE National PQC Index, consolidating cryptographic posture data across public and private sector entities into a unified national view. This gives the Cyber Security Council comprehensive, real-time oversight of the country’s overall cryptographic readiness, enabling more informed national-level decision-making and readiness tracking.
QuantumGate is built on cryptographic research developed at Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute, using proprietary cryptographic libraries developed by TII’s world-class cryptography research team. The company is powered by VentureOne, the commercialisation arm of the Advanced Technology Research Council, reflecting a deliberate strategy of converting foundational UAE research into deployable national security products.
The deployment covers both public and private sector critical entities, enabling a coordinated national migration rather than a fragmented sector-by-sector approach. This breadth of coverage is central to the UAE’s strategy, since a quantum-safe national infrastructure is only as strong as its least-protected critical system.
The UAE Cyber Security Council was established in 2020 with a mandate to spearhead secure digital transformation and strengthen the UAE’s cybersecurity framework across economic, educational, health, and social sectors. The Crypto Discovery Tool’s is probably the Council’s most operationally significant move yet in translating national cybersecurity strategy into active infrastructure protection.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]