£6.2 million energy award to fight quantum threats to cybersecurity

Chris Dent and Amy Wilson join researchers from the School of Informatics to strengthen the UK's energy system against future quantum-enabled cyber threats.

The project, Network Security in a Quantum Future, receives £6.2 million through Ofgem's Strategic Innovation Fund which is managed in partnership with Innovate UK. 

This builds on a successful Alpha-phase project led by the National Energy System Operator (NESO), which investigated how advances in quantum computing could affect the cybersecurity of critical energy infrastructure. The project assessed quantum-related risks and identified mitigation strategies for energy network operators. 

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The newly funded Beta phase will further develop two operational tools capable of supporting energy network organisations as they prepare for the transition to a post-quantum cybersecurity landscape. These include an open-source software solution 'Quantum Threat Tracker', which estimates the timelines under which different systems may become vulnerable to quantum attacks, and an enterprise solution, the 'Quantum-Aware Risk Management' tool, which provides decision support for planning the transition to quantum-safe technologies. Together, the tools will help organisations assess quantum risks across a wide range of energy assets and prioritise mitigation measures. 

Chris Dent, Professor of Industrial Mathematics, says, "I am very pleased to be working on this project with my colleague Amy Wilson, building on work in the Discovery and Alpha phases of the project". 

"In addition to the importance to the energy system of maintaining cyber security in the post-quantum world, our work on the consequences of uncertainty in technology projections is an exciting technical challenge, which we are confident we can address alongside our colleagues in the other project partners".

The consortium brings the University together with NESO, Cambridge Consultants, Scottish Power Energy Networks, and National Gas. The University's contribution is being delivered through the Quantum Software Lab, with Petros Wallden and Joschka Roffe from the School of Informatics joining Chris and Amy in Mathematics. 

By combining expertise from academia, energy networks and industry, the project will address one of the most significant long-term cybersecurity challenges facing critical national infrastructure. 

Petros Wallden, Deputy Director for Research of the Quantum Software Lab, says, "One of the most important unanswered questions in cybersecurity is when quantum computers will become capable of breaking the cryptographic systems used today. For energy network operators, getting that timing right is critical: migrating to quantum-safe technologies too early could incur unnecessary costs, while acting too late could expose essential infrastructure to significant risks".

"By combining expertise in quantum computing, uncertainty quantification and energy systems, this project will provide evidence-based tools to support a secure and cost-effective transition to a post-quantum future".

The project team will contribute expertise in quantum computing, uncertainty quantification, optimisation and risk modelling to help ensure that the resulting tools provide robust, actionable guidance for network operators. The project aligns closely with the University's wider quantum technology activities, including the recently funded Quantum Advantage TurboCharger (QATCH) programme, which aims to accelerate the development of impactful quantum computing applications across a range of sectors. 

 

Learn more about our work with NESO:

Shaping the future of energy with NESO | School of Mathematics Blog

Learn more about Ofgem's Strategic Innovation Fund:

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