Dec. 23, Manama (BNA): A historic collaboration to create a national framework for cybersecurity modernization was announced by the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) and SandboxAQ, a world leader in AI-driven cybersecurity and cryptography management.
Bahrain partners with SandboxAQ to build quantum-safe economy
The collaboration represents one of the first significant global commitments to the shift to a quantum-safe economy. As a founding member of the UNICC AI Hub on Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), SandboxAQ will assist Bahrain in protecting sensitive government and commercial sector systems, vital infrastructure, and sovereign data against quickly changing cyber, cryptographic, and quantum computing threats.
The disclosure coincides with governments around the world getting ready for “Q-Day,” the day when cryptographically relevant quantum computers (CRQCs) will be able to crack the encryption that is currently in use. The threat is already there through “harvest-now, decrypt-later” assaults, in which adversaries grab encrypted material today with plans to decrypt it whenever quantum capabilities evolve, even though scientists currently predict that CRQCs will be possible by as early as 2029. For governments, this includes decades’ worth of sensitive archives, national identification records, defense information, diplomatic cables, and classified conversations.
Through this agreement, Bahrain will implement SandboxAQ’s AQtive Guard platform, an AI-powered cybersecurity solution intended to modernize defenses for the post-quantum era and facilitate the safe, widespread deployment of AI agents. It offers full visibility, evaluation, and correction of serious risks resulting from inadequate encryption and the quick spread of AI agents and non-human identities (NHIs). The rollout will cover over 60 different ministry environments throughout the Kingdom, necessitating the large-scale management of cryptographic security using SandboxAQ’s platform.
The collaboration with SandboxAQ is an essential step in protecting Bahrain’s sovereign data, intellectual property, and other digital assets from both internal and foreign cyber threats, according to NCSC CEO Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa. “SandboxAQ’s cutting-edge AI-driven cybersecurity technologies and expertise will help protect citizens, businesses, and government agencies and support a new era of security and economic growth in the Kingdom,” he continued.
According to Mohammed Aboul-Magd, Vice President of Product, Cybersecurity at SandboxAQ, Bahrain is making a big stride by putting the required technologies in place in addition to formulating strategy to defend the Kingdom from quickly changing threats. He continued by saying that the collaboration establishes a structure that keeps the nation ahead of attackers by enabling it to react swiftly to emerging vulnerabilities.
This program is a fundamental component of Bahrain’s long-term cybersecurity strategy and demonstrates the Kingdom’s dedication to protecting national data, fostering economic resilience, and expediting safe digital transformation.
