Saudi Arabia’s KAUST in global chip-development effort to thwart hackers

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People work on computers on January 22, 2019 in Lille, during the 11th International Cybersecurity Forum. (AFP/File Photo)
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Updated 12 August 2020
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Saudi Arabia’s KAUST in global chip-development effort to thwart hackers

  • Quantum computers are likely to be able to crack existing communication methods in the near future
  • KAUST contributing to designing of computer chip capable of foiling security threats from quantum computers

DUBAI: Scientists from one of Saudi Arabia’s most prestigious academic institutions are part of an international chip-designing team that is spearheading efforts to put hackers out of business.

The goal of the KAUST team is to design an optical computer chip that can withstand security threats from quantum computers, which many believe will be able to crack existing communication methods in the near future.

The optical chips enable information to be sent from one user to another via a one-time, unhackable mode of communication in “perfect secrecy.”

This allows confidential data to be protected more securely than ever before on public classical communication channels.

The scientists’ proposed system uses silicon chips containing complex structures that are irreversibly changed to send information in a one-time key that can neither be recreated nor intercepted by an attacker.

The results, published in the scientific journal Nature Communications, open a new route toward implementing “perfect secrecy” cryptography on a global scale whose costs are economical too.

“This new technique is absolutely unbreakable, as we rigorously demonstrated in our article,” said Andrea di Falco, a professor with the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of St. Andrews and first author of the study.

“It can be used to protect the confidentiality of communications exchanged by users separated by any distance, at an ultrafast speed close to the light limit and in inexpensive and electronic compatible optical chips.”

Although not used yet, the scientists have filed a patent besides the paper in “Nature Communications.”

They are now in discussion with companies in the UK and US, in addition to being in contact with a company in Saudi Arabia.

“It could help governments as well,” said Dr. Andrea Fratalocchi, associate professor of electrical engineering at KAUST and co-author of the research paper.

“This technology, if implemented on a large scale, can put hackers out of business because it will create an impenetrable layer that no one can break.”

With the right funding, prototypes can be deployed with high technological readiness within a couple of years.

Current standard cryptographic techniques allow information to be sent quickly, but chances are they will be hacked by future computers and quantum algorithms.

Redha Al-Ibrahim, a 24-year-old Saudi Ph.D. student at KAUST, said the drive to produce smaller and more efficient chips to enable powerful computing in small devices has led to the development of quantum computers.

"Today, tech giants possess the resources and talent to build quantum computers and use them to perform tasks (earlier) believed to be impossible even with the world's most powerful machines," he told Arab News.

"Some of these tasks involving breaking today's most powerful encryption codes used by everyone daily to keep their information safe and their resources secure."

The research team said that their new method for encrypting data is unbreakable and uses existing communication networks, plus takes up less network space than traditional encrypted communications do.

The chip can be used by private customers who perform bank transactions, for instance, or in the military field, among others, which uses confidential information.

“It’s based on integrated chips used on the sender and receiver,” Fratalocchi said.

FASTFACT

Optical Chips

Promise many advantages over their electronic counterparts, including reduced power consumption and processing speedups.

“The chips allow the exchange, on a public channel, of a key between the two people. The key is random; it’s different every time and no one can infer it from the communication exchanged between the two.”

With this key, users can encode information in a way that no other user can decode. The security of this scheme is of the type “perfect secrecy,” a security that can be mathematically proven to never be broken — not by any user nor by technological advance.

Fratalocchi said that three models of security are commonly used currently, adding that it would become possible to decrypt encrypted messages using a protocol called “mathematical security” in a few years.

“This type of security is the one used in many symmetric key cryptographic protocols, such as the one used by the United States to encrypt confidential information,” he said.

“Another security protocol is defined as ‘probable security,’ which is employed in many public key cryptographies, such as in bank transactions.

“All these paradigms are not based on unconditional proofs and are vulnerable to technological development.

“No one can anticipate the technology of tomorrow. An attacker can just save the data of today and wait until the right technology is available to decrypt the information.”

Fratalocchi’s research belongs to the third category, ”perfect secrecy,” which is the sturdiest of them all.

Developed by Frank Miller in 1882, during the age of telegraphy, and patented in 1919 by Gilbert Vernam, it is called the one-time pad (OTP) or the Vernam cipher.




In this picture taken on May 8, 2017, smartphone chip component circuits are handled by a worker at the Oppo factory in Dongguan. (AFP/File Photo)

At the time, Vernam claimed it was unbreakable but could not prove it mathematically.

The proof became available in the late 1940s.

“What we did is to create a physical implementation of the Vernam cipher and experimentally prove it,” Fratalocchi told Arab News.

“With the advent of more powerful and quantum computers, all current encryptions will be broken in very short time, exposing the privacy of our present and, more importantly, past communications.”

Fratalocchi said that an attacker might store an encrypted message sent today and wait for the right technology to become available to decipher the communication.

“Implementing massive and affordable resources of global security is a worldwide problem that this research has the potential to solve for everyone, and everywhere,” he said.

The new method uses the classical laws of physics — the second law of thermodynamics in particular — to protect the messages.

Keys generated by the chip, which unlock each message, are never stored nor communicated with the message, nor can they ever be recreated, even by the users themselves. This adds an extra level of security.

“A novel form of security must be made available for the future, when current technologies becomes obsolete, making everyone's information vulnerable,” Al-Ibrahim told Arab News.

“This research introduces a new form of security, which depends on a random, unpredictable physical structure that is made uniquely for each individual.”

Fratalocchi said Saudi Arabia is an interesting country for researchers of his ilk because its informatic infrastructure is quite advanced.

“Here, you can perform almost any task online or from any ATM, ranging from any type of government service to paying fines,” he said.

“In Europe, cyber development in the government sector is not as advanced. Saudi Arabia would be an excellent user of this perfect secrecy system for securing any type of communication.”




In this picture taken on May 8, 2017, smartphone chip component circuits are handled by a worker at the Oppo factory in Dongguan. (AFP/File Photo)

The team is currently working on developing commercial applications of the patented technology, a fully functional demo and user-friendly software for the system.

“We are confident of our results,” Fratalocchi said.

“The work took a very long time. I started the idea of using a complex system for communicating security in my post-doctoral research, which was funded from an award that I won from the Enrico Fermi Center for Study and Research in Rome.”

When he moved to KAUST in 2011, Fratalocchi worked on it with Valerio Mazzone, his Ph.D. student, and their collaborators in the UK and the US. It took about five years, with trial and error, to discover the correct system.

“The main difficulty was to find a system that would scale up and could be used on users separated by arbitrary distances,” Fratalocchi said.

“The most important experiment happened around three years ago, when we found the correct configuration in a scalable system that wasn’t too expensive.”

Looking to the future, Dr. Aluizio Cruz, co-founder and CEO of the Center for Unconventional Processes of Sciences (CUP Sciences) in California and co-author of the Nature Communications report, said: “This system is the practical solution the cybersecurity sector has been waiting for since the perfect secrecy theoretical proof” by Vernam.

Cruz added: “It will be a key candidate to solving global cybersecurity threats, from private to national security, all the way to smart energy grids.”

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@CalineMalek


Environmental Week highlights Saudi Arabia’s sustainability vision

Updated 20 April 2025
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Environmental Week highlights Saudi Arabia’s sustainability vision

  • New national index aims to monitor Kingdom’s environmental health, guide policy decisions

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture launched Saudi Environment Week on Sunday, themed “Our Environment is a Treasure,” to showcase the Kingdom’s efforts in ecosystem protection and sustainable development.

A highlight was the debut of the National Environmental Performance Index, a strategic tool to monitor environmental progress and guide policy.

The event, inaugurated by Minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli in Riyadh, brings together government agencies, businesses, nonprofits, and local communities to promote eco-friendly practices and collective responsibility.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Climate Envoy Adel Al-Jubeir also attended, with the event featuring environmental presentations, agreement signings, and children’s performances to encourage positive environmental behavior.

Activities include nationwide exhibitions, workshops on biodiversity and renewable energy, and forums for green innovations.

The new index, which Al-Fadhli described as essential for informed decision-making, will track environmental metrics like air quality, water conservation, and biodiversity.

It aims to align national development with ecological priorities, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s commitment to sustainable growth.

Al-Fadhli stressed the Kingdom’s leadership in sustainability, prioritizing natural resource protection and societal responsibility. He said that the index ensures accountability and progress as the country builds a greener future.

Al-Fadhli toured the exhibition, featuring sections on vegetation cover, desertification control, biodiversity, waste management, meteorology, and environmental compliance.

The exhibition also includes workshops highlighting Saudi Arabia’s role in fostering environmental cooperation, raising awareness, encouraging private sector investments in sustainable projects, and advancing technology.

The ministry emphasized that the newly introduced index serves as a nationwide monitoring tool, developed in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme.

It is designed to align with government bodies, environmental organizations, and national centers, ensuring cohesion with Saudi Arabia’s ecological priorities.

Key goals include evaluating environmental health, identifying change drivers, and establishing an early detection system for sustainability challenges and progress.

By tracking progress toward environmental targets, the ministry noted that the index identifies gaps for urgent action, enabling data-driven policy adjustments.

Phase 1 focuses on five core areas linked to the National Environment Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030: wildlife conservation, green space expansion, waste management efficiency, pollution levels in air, soil, and water, and weather forecasting accuracy.

Phase 2 will address emerging priorities, such as climate change metrics, reflecting their importance in long-term environmental planning.

The ministry stressed that the index will provide policymakers with actionable insights, driving improvements in ecological resilience, public health, and quality of life for Saudi citizens.

The National Fisheries Development Center has joined the celebrations of Saudi Environment Week.

Riyadh Al-Fageeh, director general of the center, said: “Our participation highlights the importance of preserving the environment, raising awareness, and strengthening quality of life goals. We aim to emphasize the role of institutions and individuals in maintaining ecological balance, aligned with Vision 2030.”

He added: “Saudi Environment Week reaffirms the Kingdom’s commitment to protecting natural resources and leading regional efforts in sustainability. We encourage all citizens and residents to actively participate and contribute to a cleaner, greener future.”


Calligraphy captivates Arabic speakers, non-speakers alike, say enthusiasts

Updated 20 April 2025
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Calligraphy captivates Arabic speakers, non-speakers alike, say enthusiasts

  • Traditional script is universal language appreciated for artistry, even if not understood
  • New fonts to be used by individuals, organizations in formal settings

RIYADH: Arabic calligraphy occupies a global artistic status that captivates Arabic speakers and non-speakers alike, enthusiasts have told Arab News.

The Ministry of Culture last week introduced two fonts based on Arabic calligraphy that are intended to be used by individuals and organizations in formal settings and for artistic works: Al-Awwal and Saudi.

Abdulrahman Al-Shahed, a founding member of the Saudi Arabic Calligraphy Association, told Arab News that the introduction of the fonts was “a welcome step that contributes to renewing the presence of Arabic calligraphy in digital and contemporary contexts, without separating it from its spiritual and aesthetic roots.”

He described the introduction of the fonts as “a call to rediscover calligraphy as a living identity.”

Arabic calligraphy “amazes viewers with its abstract beauty and contemplative spirit,” Al-Shahed said.

He noted that “many non-Arabs don’t read the letters, but they feel them and their beauty,” adding that Arabic calligraphy was consequently a universal visual language.

It has been evolving for more than 1,400 years, and each generation adds its own influence to the artform, expressing its own spirit and time, he said.

Abdul Adeem Al-Shali, a member of the Fine Arts Group in Qatif, told Arab News that “there is a growing interest among a large segment of non-Arabic speakers in the Arabic language and its letters and words.”

He added: “This interest demonstrates the magic of the Arabic letter and its appeal to the eye of the average recipient, let alone someone with artistic awareness.”

Many foreigners have masterfully drawn calligraphy. The American calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya, who converted to Islam and learned calligraphy in Istanbul, gained widespread fame, for example.

He held numerous calligraphy exhibitions in America and other Western countries, receiving praise from those interested in the art, said Al-Shali.

The arts enthusiast is optimistic about the future of Arabic calligraphy and urged those in charge of art colleges, calligraphy institutes, and Arabic language colleges at universities to “preserve this great heritage and teach it to current generations with great care.”

Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, the minister of culture, said that the new typefaces were a tribute to the Kingdom’s rich cultural and artistic heritage, his ministry adding that they were based on historic “inscriptions and Qur’anic manuscripts.”

The design of Al-Awwal highlights the spirit of calligraphy in ancient inscriptions in the Arabian Peninsula.

The Saudi takes into account the artistic principles of the Al-Awwal script and makes it more contemporary.

A group of local and international experts was responsible for their design, with support from the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property, the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives, and the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Global Center for Arabic Calligraphy Initiative.

Arabic calligraphy originated in the Arabian Peninsula and was influenced by the cultural and political conditions in the region and ancient rock art from pre-Islamic civilizations and languages. It spread with the migration of Arabs during the Islamic expansion.

The new typefaces “reflect the historical depth of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is considered the cradle of ancient human civilizations and the home of various calligraphy and inscriptions, ranging from Musnad, Nabataean, and Thamudic,” the Ministry of Culture said, referencing some of the ancient civilizations from the peninsula.


Saudi project clears 1,050 Houthi mines in Yemen

Updated 20 April 2025
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Saudi project clears 1,050 Houthi mines in Yemen

RIYADH: Members of Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam removed 1,050 explosive devices from various regions of Yemen last week.

The total included 1,020 unexploded ordnances, 24 anti-tank mines, three anti-personnel mines and three explosive devices, according to a recent report.

Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the initiative’s managing director, said a total of 488,656 mines had been cleared since its inception in 2018.

The explosives were planted indiscriminately and posed a threat to civilians, including children, women and the elderly.

The demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.

The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.

Teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads and schools to facilitate safe movement for civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.


Kingdom launches $293m water projects in Qassim

Updated 20 April 2025
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Kingdom launches $293m water projects in Qassim

  • These projects align with the company’s strategies to expand water and environmental services

RIYADH: The National Water Co. has begun implementing 16 water and wastewater projects in the Qassim region, with a total cost exceeding SR1.1 billion ($293 million).

These projects aim to expand water and sanitation services and meet rising demand,  the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

The sanitation component includes 12 projects worth more than SR870 million, involving the installation of more than 645 km of sewage pipes and networks, as well as the construction of lifting stations with a total capacity exceeding 6,000 cubic meters per day.

The water component consists of four projects valued at more than SR247 million, including the laying of more than 579 km of water pipelines and networks.

These projects align with the company’s strategies to expand water and environmental services, meet growing demand, and improve the quality of life and services, in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030.


Golden heron graces skies of Northern Borders region

Updated 20 April 2025
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Golden heron graces skies of Northern Borders region

  • Wetland bird thrives along seashores, rivers, reed beds

RIYADH: The skies above Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region come alive each year with the graceful flight of migratory birds, from golden herons gliding over wetlands to flocks seeking respite.

Member of the Aman Environmental Association and birdwatching enthusiast Adnan Khalifa told the Saudi Press Agency that he recently observed several species of migratory birds in the region — most notably the golden heron — in various water bodies scattered across the area’s wilderness.

The golden heron, a wetland bird, thrives along seashores, rivers, and reed beds. Its plumage, a vibrant golden or orange hue, transforms in flight as its wings flash white, creating a dazzling spectacle visible from a distance.

Feeding on small fish, amphibians, and insects, golden herons typically nest in small colonies but often roam alone outside the breeding season.

These birds breed in reed marshes, atop trees, or along the shores of lakes and rivers.

The Northern Borders region serves as a vital migratory corridor, its strategic geographical location bridging Europe, Africa, and Asia, and its diverse landscapes — lush with natural vegetation — attracting both migratory and resident bird species.

This steady stream of birds through the region signals a thriving ecosystem, reflecting the region’s ecological health and balance.

These natural scenes during migration seasons add aesthetic value and cultural richness for local residents and visitors, including nature enthusiasts and environmental observers.

Migratory birds play an important role in the ecosystem by dispersing seeds, controlling insect populations, and enhancing biodiversity, making them a vital element in sustaining the environmental life cycle.