The world’s smallest post-quantum encryption (PQC) device, SAFEcore Edge has been formally introduced by Sheffield-based deep-tech company Sitehop. This small hardware solution, which was created particular to protect operational technology (OT) and critical national infrastructure (CNI), comes at a crucial time when the threat of “Q-Day” the moment when quantum computers can crack current encryption standards is shifting from a theoretical concern to an executive level preference.
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Addressing the Quantum Threat
As tech prepares for quantum, improving consumer application software layers is crucial. However, Sitehop is focusing on the industrial control systems, water treatment facilities, and energy systems that underpin modern life. Smart grids and the industrial Internet of things have connected these systems, identifying them to complex threat actors after years of physical isolation.
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre have warned about “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” attacks State-sponsored entities intercept and archive encrypted traffic to decode it when fault-tolerant quantum computers are available. By offering hardware-enforced PQC defense at the network’s most remote endpoints, SAFEcore Edge is intended to reduce this risk.
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Hardware-Enforced Protection with Nano-Second Speed
Industrial strong encryption is limited by latency. Sensitive industrial machinery may desynchronize as a result of the processing overhead introduced by traditional software-based solutions like usual VPNs. To combat this, Sitehop has shifted from using general-purpose software to directly integrating its defensive mechanisms into field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chips.
The SAFEcore Edge design achieves an incredibly low latency of just 835 nanoseconds by managing encryption and decryption at the silicon hardware level. According to reports, this is up to 1,000 times less latency than software-only solutions, enabling safe real-time data flow without risking the millisecond-sensitive feedback loops needed for automated factories and power grids.
According to Sitehop’s CTO and co-founder Ben Harper, old legacy technologies and harsh climatic conditions present particular difficulties for remote vital locations. “With SAFEcore Edge, They are removing that bottleneck entirely by embedding PQC defense directly into compact, hardened hardware,” said Harper.
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Securing Remote and Harsh Environments
The pocket-sized gadget is designed to function in settings where it is challenging to implement traditional security infrastructure. Its uses consist of:
- Energy and Utilities: Remote energy substations, wind farms, and power grids
- Industrial Systems: Industrial systems include manufacturing facilities and SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems.
- Offshore and Maritime: Oil platforms and other geographically remote assets are classified as offshore and maritime.
- Public Infrastructure: Water treatment facilities and distributed national assets.
By supporting IEC 62443 compliance for industrial cybersecurity, the device guarantees the security of vital communications between central control rooms and distant OT.
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Ethical and Crypto-Agility
Sitehop offers the SAFEcore Edge for infrastructure operators seeking net-zero carbon and security. The SAFEseries architecture requires as low as 10% of the power used by conventional software-based encryption configurations since the FPGA configuration is highly tailored for particular mathematical operations. This 90% decrease in energy use results in major operational cost savings and a lower carbon footprint in high-throughput settings.
The device also offers “crypto-agility,” which lets users change internal cryptographic calculations from a distance. This eliminates the need to send technicians to physically update hardware at remote substations or outside installations, allowing for the immediate deployment of recently standardized NIST post-quantum algorithms like ML-KEM and ML-DSA.
Commercial Growth and Global Momentum
Melissa Chambers and Ben Harper launched Sitehop in 2021, and it has had remarkable growth since the launch of SAFEcore Edge. Northern Gritstone led the company’s recent completion of a £7.5 million Series A investment round, increasing its total capital raised to £13.5 million ($18.1 million). The goal of this financial support is to expand North England’s manufacturing capacity and quickly its entry into foreign markets.
Significant commercial validation of the technique has already occurred. Sitehop completed a groundbreaking trial with BT at its Gemini test facility as the first outside company to access that live-network replica environment. Additionally, Sitehop’s enterprise gear is now used by government and defense agencies as well as a worldwide tier-one telecommunications provider in a number of nations.
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A New Standard for the Quantum Era
New G7 compliance deadlines and regulatory requirements like the EU’s NIS2 rule, market analysts expect firm Post Quantum Cryptography PQC migration spending to rise over the next 24 months.
According to Sitehop CEO Melissa Chambers. “Our mission is to ensure that as the world upgrades to meet the quantum threat, organizations don’t have to choose between keeping their data safe and keeping their networks fast,” she explained. With the launch of SAFEcore Edge, Sitehop has shown that the race to safeguard the quantum era will be won at the most remote and difficult edges of global infrastructure, not simply in cloud data centers.
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