February 18, 2026 -- Together with partners from 10 countries, Latvia has launched the European-level post-quantum encryption project Quantum-Resistant Cryptography in Practice (QARC). The objective of the project is to develop and test quantum-resistant encryption solutions in practice, ensuring data protection against future cyberattacks.

Today’s digital environment and data protection are heavily reliant on cybersecurity and encryption solutions that safeguard critical services, including government, municipal, financial, communications, healthcare, and other services. However, in light of the accelerating development of quantum computers and supercomputers, which may create major breakthroughs in data processing, the security of current encryption algorithms could already be under threat in the near future. Therefore, it is vitally important that post-quantum cryptography (PQC) solutions and enhanced security services are developed before it is too late.

QARC is a pan-European collaborative and cybersecurity innovation project in which partners develop pilot PQC solutions based on research into PQC protocols, applications, security, and technical implementation carried out under the auspices of the project. This work lays the foundations for future cybersecurity services and standards in Europe. It is envisioned that the project will help participating partners and Europe prepare in advance for the advent of the quantum era, ensuring that data, communications, and digital services remain secure in the future.

Under the leadership of specialists from Brno University of Technology, the project is being implemented with the involvement of top cybersecurity and cryptography researchers and experts from across Europe, national cybersecurity centres from five countries, technology companies, as well as associated partners from Ukraine. The project team is committed not only to studying current PQC solutions, but also to testing and implementing them in practice in the realms of digital public administration, cloud services, cybersecurity institutions, and European open-source software.

According to the Director General of the National Cybersecurity Centre Rolands Heniņš, “The challenges of secure data transmission pose cybersecurity threats not only in the future but right now, compelling the public administration, academic, and private sectors to seek joint solutions. The Ministry of Defence’s involvement in the project will enable us to identify the necessary regulatory amendments in advance, as well as assess the readiness of Latvia’s IT infrastructure and systems for the implementation of quantum-resistant encryption solutions, and identify required changes. At the same time, participating in the project serves to strengthen the Ministry of Defence’s capacity and expertise in cryptography and cybersecurity overall.”

“Taking part in the QARC project confirms that Latvia has the ability to be among the leading players in the field and to actively contribute to shaping Europe’s cybersecurity future. Although a good many experts view quantum threats as purely theoretical, in reality they already pose a real risk today – malicious actors can now collect data, store it, and access it in 10–15 years’ time using quantum technologies. Such long-term data protection is critically important for government institutions, the financial sector, and other providers of essential services, fields in which information must remain confidential over time,” stresses Dmitrijs Ņikitins, Chief Technology Officer at Tet.

Under the aegis of the project, the Ministry of Defence, together with cybersecurity institutions from other European countries, will devise a roadmap for implementing PQC solutions in Latvia. Concurrently, Tet will work on developing quantum-resistant solutions, including a pilot project that seeks to develop a post-quantum-secure data storage and exchange platform, where users can securely authenticate, upload, and send data using post-quantum encryption algorithms. Alongside solution development, Tet and the Ministry of Defence will systematically train their employees, building expertise and competencies in the realms of future security services and digital infrastructure protection.