The quantum era is not here yet, but some are already thinking about the post-quantum world and its impact on privacy and cybersecurity. One such person is INESC-ID researcher Ricardo Chaves, who participated in a demonstration of cutting-edge secure communication technologies developed under the DISCRETION project. The event, held on January 29 at the Portuguese Embassy (REPER headquarters) in Brussels, showcased technological advancements aimed at strengthening European defense infrastructure. In addition to Ricardo, INESC-ID researchers Nuno Neves, Joana Afonso, Pedro Martins, Pedro Matias and Tiago Dias were also present (all in the main picture ).

The DISCRETION project recently gained public attention through a feature report by RTP, Portugal’s national broadcaster. The report highlighted the project’s groundbreaking advancements in secure military communications and its crucial role in enhancing European cybersecurity. Through interviews with key researchers, including Ricardo Chaves, the segment detailed the cryptographic technologies that are ate the core of DISCRETION’s security framework.
Portugal’s Secretary of Defense Álvaro Castelo Branco and Portuguese Ambassador to the European Union Pedro Costa Pereira, alongside representatives from European institutions and member states, attended the event, emphasizing its significance for European security.

DISCRETION is a €6 million initiative, supported by the European Commission under the European Defence Agency’s European Defence Industrial Development Programme and the Portuguese Government. By integrating a Software-Defined Network with Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technologies, DISCRETION seeks to enhance the security of military networks against emerging threats, particularly in the post-quantum era.

The RTP feature underlined the project’s capabilities in providing secure communication solutions, highlighting the ability to ensure reliable, encrypted messaging in challenging environments, protect sensitive military communications, and enable secure, cross-domain communication. These advancements underline the system’s versatility and strength in enhancing security for a range of applications.

Collaborative European Leadership The DISCRETION project, short for “Disruptive SDN Secure Communications for European Defence,” is an initiative aimed at developing an optical Software-Defined Network (SDN) solution to ensure secure, robust, and resilient communications for European defense applications. It is led by Deimos Engenharia (Portugal) and brings together a consortium including Portugal (Altice Labs, Adyta, Instituto de Telecomunicações, Instituto Superior Técnico), Spain (Telefónica ID, Polytechnic University of Madrid), Austria (Austrian Institute of Technology), and Italy (NEXTWORKS).