KU Leuven spin-off creates world's first chip for encrypted data processing
A new KU Leuven spin-off says it has achieved a global first: enabling encrypted computer data to be processed without ever being decrypted. Belfort announced on Wednesday that it had raised 5 million euros in seed funding to develop the technology.
Belfort, born out of KU Leuven’s renowned COSIC research group in cryptographic hardware, has developed a hardware accelerator that allows encrypted data to be analysed in real time, breaking through long-standing speed and cost barriers.
“Belfort enables encrypted data to be processed without exposure to servers, cloud providers or middlemen with privileged access," says co-founder Michiel Van Beirendonck. "If the data is breached, nobody can ever look inside because it stays encrypted.”
Promising use cases
The potential use cases are broad. In finance, Belfort has already run a proof of concept with SWIFT, testing whether its chip could scan encrypted bank transactions for signs of financial crime. In healthcare, patient data locked behind privacy regulations could be used for medical research, vaccine development or personalised treatments.
"A breakthrough for anyone who wants to protect sensitive data”
“For decades, we have been exploring how to make data processing intrinsically secure and confidential," said Ingrid Verbauwhede, KU Leuven cryptography expert and Belfort co-founder.
"With Belfort, we are finally putting those ideas into practice. For the first time, cryptographic theory has been translated directly into usable real-time systems. That’s a breakthrough for anyone who wants to protect sensitive data.”
A digital version of the hardware is already available on AWS Marketplace. The company intends to move towards producing its own physical chip within two to three years.
#FlandersNewsService | Ilustration © PHOTO ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP
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