Time has been changed to 3:00–4:00 p.m. (JST)

Asia Society Japan and Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) have jointly launched the OIST & ASJ Quantum / Cyber Security Seminar Series, exploring different aspects of quantum technology and its future impact. World-renowned quantum scientists from all over the world are invited to navigate us through the important developments. Our second speaker is Dr. Najwa Aaraj, Chief Researcher, the Cryptography Research Centre at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), UAE. Dr. Artur Ekert is the navigator.

This presentation will first focus on the impact of quantum computers on cryptographic algorithms and the changes that are required to protect against both passive and active quantum attacks. It will then discuss the new set of post quantum cryptographic schemes that exist to protect current and future systems, their implied security and their practicality when deployed in real world systems. This will also include standardization efforts, industry challenges, and complexities of the roadmap to transition current cryptographic systems and secure communications solutions to quantum-resistant alternatives.

After this, the presentation will touch briefly on the role of Machine Learning in advancing cyber security solutions, including (1) cryptographic schemes for privacy preserving technologies; (2) theoretical and implementation-focused (side channel) cryptanalysis techniques; and (3) vulnerability management and automated incident response systems.

The presentation will conclude by covering the role of cryptography in securing Machine Learning models by (1) ensuring confidentiality of both data & model during training and classification; (2) protection of models from being tampered with or introducing bias for profit or control; (3) protection against model poisoning; and (4) introducing cryptographic randomness in training Deep Neural Networks.

This event is co-hosted with OIST.

This event will be conducted online and is open to the public. Registration is required.

Speaker

Dr. Najwa Aaraj
Chief Researcher, the Cryptography Research Centre at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), UAE

Dr. Najwa Aaraj is the Chief Researcher at the Cryptography Research Centre at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a cutting-edge UAE-based scientific research centre. In her role, she leads the research and development of cryptographic technologies, including quantum safe (post quantum) and quantum cryptographic technologies, lightweight cryptographic libraries, cryptanalysis, and applied machine learning for cryptographic technologies. Dr. Aaraj is also acting Chief Researcher of the Autonomous and Robotics Research Center at TII.

Dr. Aaraj earned a PhD with Highest Distinction from Princeton University in the USA. She has an extensive expertise in applied cryptography, embedded and cyber physical systems security, trusted platforms, software exploit detection and prevention systems, and biometrics. She has over 15 years of experience with global firms, working in multiple geographies from Australia to the United States.

Before joining TII, Dr. Aaraj was Senior Vice President of Cryptographic technologies development at DarkMatter, a cyber-security firm based in the UAE. She was formerly at Booz & Co., where she led engagements in the telecommunications and information technology industry for clients globally. She also held research positions with the Embedded Systems Security Group at IBM T.J. Watson, at Intel Portland, Oregon, where she worked on Trusted Platform Modules early firmware prototypes, and at NEC Laboratories in Princeton, New Jersey, working mainly on hardware engineering.

Dr. Aaraj has written multiple conference papers, IEEE and ACM journal papers and book chapters, and received technology patents. Areas cover applied cryptography, trusted platforms, embedded systems security, and machine learning-based protection of IoT systems.

Dr. Aaraj is on the advisory board of New York-based NeuTigers, a leading-edge startup revolutionising the next generation of energy/latency-efficient artificial intelligence (AI). She is also a Board Member and adviser to multiple security and Machine Learning startups.

Navigator

Dr. ArturEkert
University of Oxford
Centre for Quantum Technologies
Professor

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
Adjunct Professor

Artur Ekert is one of the best-known pioneers of quantum cryptography. He works as Professor of Quantum Physics at the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford, as a Professorial Fellow in Quantum Physics and Cryptography at Merton College, Oxford, and as the Lee Kong Chian Centennial Professor and the founding director of the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT) at the National University of Singapore. His research interests extend over most aspects of information processing in quantum-mechanical systems, with a focus on quantum communication and quantum computation. He has worked with and advised many companies and government agencies over the last decades. He is a recipient of several awards, including the 1995 Maxwell Medal by the Institute of Physics, the 2007 Royal Society Hughes Medal and the 2019 Micius Quantum Prize. In 2016 he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society.