December 01, 2025 -- As the quantum revolution compels us to rethink the foundations of cybersecurity, Thales — a global high-tech leader in Defense, Aerospace, and Cyber & DigItal — and CEA, a public research body serving the State to ensure France’s scientific and technological sovereignty, have collaborated to assess and strengthen the new generation of post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms.

In 2025, Thales and CEA launched a joint project called GIVERNY, aimed at exploring the resistance to attacks of two post-quantum algorithms: the HAWK signature scheme, which is closely related to the NIST FN-DSA (Digital Signature Standard), and the FAEST signature scheme, which is related to the AES (Advanced Encryption Standard).

Through joint development and cross-evaluation work, Thales and CEA cryptographers and cybersecurity experts analysed the robustness of FAEST and HAWK under real-world implementation scenarios comparable to those of future electronic products integrating post-quantum cryptography.

This collaboration between the two CESTIs recognized by ANSSI for their post-quantum cryptography expertise is unprecedented in France and marks a key step in preparing the industry for the transition to quantum-resistant systems.

The GIVERNY project results come at a time when ANSSI has recently announced that products placed on the market after 2030 must transition to post-quantum algorithms, with this requirement applying as early as 2027 for sensitive products seeking qualification.

“Post-quantum cryptography represents a strategic turning point for European digital sovereignty. The outcome of this collaboration between Thales and CEA is the result of major research investments and demonstrates France’s ability to combine innovation and security at the highest level. Thales and CEA are positioning themselves as key players in tomorrow’s cybersecurity, serving Europe’s digital trust,” said Pierre Jeanne, Vice President, Sovereign Cybersecurity, Thales.

“As a trusted player in France and Europe, and deeply involved in building and advancing technology ecosystems, CEA is strengthening its partnerships with major Defence and security industrial actors. Collaboration with Thales in the field of cybersecurity is a real asset for CEA, which conducts technological research to support the emergence of a risk-free digital transition for citizens, businesses, and institutions,” added Philippe Mazabraud, Director of the Global Security Cross-Programme, CEA.

The GIVERNY project enabled the first security analysis of FAEST and HAWK implementations against side-channel attacks. Thales and CEA experts identified vulnerabilities not yet disclosed to the scientific community and assessed the effectiveness of initial countermeasures. This cooperation illustrates the growing maturity and world-class expertise of the French ecosystem in the field of post-quantum cryptography.