Ensuring Human Sovereignty In The Quantum Age -

Content: Veintree is pioneering a revolutionary approach to digital security by combining dynamic vein biometrics with quantum-safe cryptography.

• Problem Statement: As quantum computing advances, traditional encryption methods face obsolescence, leaving sensitive data vulnerable. Current biometric solutions also fall short due to privacy concerns and traceability issues.
• Solution Overview: Veintree introduces dynamic Biocryptography — an innovative technology that leverages vein biometrics to generate anonymous, decentralized, quantum-resistant authentication tokens. This ensures unparalleled security while preserving privacy. The technology enables our societies to fully embrace emerging technologies, such as quantum computing, AI and robotics, while mitigating their inherent risks.

Quantum-resistant vein authentication

In our rapidly evolving digital landscape, characterized by complex geopolitical changes, emerging technologies and shifting social structures, the need for robust and future-proof security solutions has never been more crucial.

Power dynamics are increasingly defined by technological supremacy, control of digital infrastructure and domination of cyberspace. As we approach the era of quantum computing, traditional encryption methods are facing obsolescence, threatening the very foundations of our digital security frameworks.

This article explores the urgent need for quantum-resistant security solutions and presents an innovative approach that leverages vein biometrics to create an anonymous and decentralized authentication system capable of withstanding the computing power of quantum computers.

Photo by Planet Volumes on Unsplash

The challenge of quantum security: A ticking clock

Quantum computing represents a paradigm shift in computing capabilities. Unlike conventional computers, which process information in binary bits (0 and 1), quantum computers use quantum bits or “qubits” that can exist in multiple states simultaneously thanks to a phenomenon known as superposition. This fundamental difference allows quantum computers to solve certain complex problems exponentially faster than their classical counterparts.

In August 2024, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) finalized its first set of post-quantum cryptography standards after an eight-year development effort. These standards include three encryption algorithms specifically designed to withstand attacks from quantum computers. As Laurie E. Locascio, NIST Director, emphasized, “Quantum computing technology could become a force for solving many of society’s most intractable problems, and the new standards represent NIST’s commitment to ensuring that it does not simultaneously disrupt our security.”

The urgency of implementing quantum-resistant security measures cannot be overstated. According to a recent report by MITRE https://www.mitre. org/, while a quantum computer capable of breaking RSA-2048 encryption might not appear before 2055–2060 according to conservative estimates, more optimistic projections suggest that such capabilities could arrive by 2035 with advances in quantum error correction and algorithm design. This timetable leaves us little time to prepare our digital infrastructure for the quantum age.

Perhaps most worrying is the “harvest now, decrypt later” strategy already employed by opposing players. This approach consists of collecting encrypted data today with the intention of decrypting it once quantum computing technology has reached maturity. For data requiring long-term confidentiality – such as military secrets, intellectual property or personal health information – this represents an immediate and significant threat.

The geopolitical race for quantum computing

The global race for supremacy in quantum computing has significant geopolitical implications. Countries around the world are investing heavily in the development of quantum technology, recognizing its potential to reshape military capabilities, economic competitiveness and intelligence gathering.

An MITRE report warns that “while US industry is currently at the cutting edge of quantum computing, other countries, particularly China, are not far behind” and adds that China has made significant progress in related areas such as quantum communication and cryptographic key distribution. These developments could potentially widen a military and technological gap that would be difficult to bridge.

The report also states that adversaries are already storing encrypted communications in the hope of decoding them later – a strategic approach that could lead to major security breaches if organizations delay switching to quantum-safe encryption. This underscores the urgent need for quantum-resistant security measures, regardless of when quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption emerge.

Beyond passwords: The evolution of authentication

Authentication, which consists of verifying that a person is who they claim to be, is the cornerstone of cybersecurity. Traditional password authentication has long been recognized as inadequate, leading to the widespread adoption of multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods that combine something you know (password), something you have (physical token) and something you are (biometric data).

Two-factor authentication (2FA) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) significantly strengthen security by requiring multiple forms of verification. These can include:

• Knowledge factors (passwords, PINs)
• Possession factors (physical tokens, mobile devices)
• Inherence factors (biometrics such as fingerprints or facial recognition)
• Location factors (GPS location)
• Time factors (time-based restrictions)

Out-of-band (OOB) authentication further enhances security by using two separate channels for verification, making it extremely difficult for attackers to compromise both simultaneously. However, many current implementations of MFA rely on cryptographic primitives that are vulnerable to quantum attacks. As we transition to a quantum world, we need authentication methods that are inherently resistant to quantum computing.

Biometric authentication: Strengths and limitations

Biometric authentication relies on unique physical or behavioral characteristics to verify identity. Common biometric modalities include

• Fingerprints
• Facial recognition
• Iris/retinal scanners
• Voice recognition
• Behavioral biometrics (keystroke patterns, gait analysis)

Although biometrics are practical and cannot be forgotten like passwords, they present unique challenges because they require a comparison with one or more databases. Current biometric methods are traceable and lead to the following problems.

• Problem of permanence: Unlike passwords, biometric characteristics cannot be changed if they are compromised. If your fingerprint data is stolen, you cannot simply “reset” your fingerprints.
• Privacy concerns: Traditional biometric systems often store biometric templates in centralized databases, creating attractive targets for hackers.
• Vulnerability to identity theft: Many biometric systems can be fooled by artificial replicas (such as false fingerprints or false photos for facial recognition) and the servers can be compromised.
• Rate of false matches: No biometric system is 100% accurate, hence the possibility of false matches or rejections.

Vein biometrics: A superior authentication approach

Veintree vein recognition represents a significant advance in biometric technology. This method captures the unique pattern of veins beneath the surface of the skin using multispectral near- infrared light. As these patterns are internal to the body, they offer several advantages over surface biometric data such as fingerprints:

• Increased security: The veins on the palm and back of the hand are extremely difficult to falsify or reproduce since they are under the skin and cannot be seen with the naked eye. According to security assessments, vein recognition is in general ten times more secure than iris scanners, 100 times more secure than fingerprint sensors and 1,000 times more secure than facial recognition.
• Detection of living nature: The technology makes it possible to verify that the biometric sample comes from a living person, which prevents the use of artificial replicas or samples from deceased persons.
• Contactless operation: Unlike fingerprint scanners, vein recognition systems do not require physical contact with a sensor, which improves hygiene and acceptance by users.
• Stability over time: The vein patterns remain relatively stable from the first day of life and throughout adulthood, beyond death, which guarantees constant authentication performance.

Veintree has developed a technology called “Biocryptography” which shows that the vein networks in the hands can be used to generate cryptographic keys, which can be combined in sequences for data encryption. This approach creates a natural bridge between human biology and digital security systems, a link between the real world and the digital world.

Introducing a revolutionary approach by Veintree’s Biocryptography, Quantum-safe vein authentication

Pioneering start-up Veintree has developed an innovative technology that combines the security benefits of vein biometrics with quantum-safe cryptography.

Their patented solution captures an individual’s vein pattern using multispectral infrared technology and transforms it directly into a cryptographic code using a cutting-edge artificial intelligence computer process within the scanning device itself

This approach represents a fundamental change in the way biometric authentication works:

Main technological characteristics

• Processing at the edge: All biometric processing takes place on the device (a dongle that can connect to computers, phones, tablets or other devices), ensuring that raw biometric data never leaves the scanner.
• Quantum-safe encryption: The system uses NIST-certified quantum-safe encryption algorithms, making it secure against current and future threats from quantum computing.
• Decentralized architecture: Unlike traditional biometric systems that rely on centralized databases of biometric minutiae, this solution operates in a decentralized manner, creating anonymous tokens without storing the original biometric data.
• Anonymity by design: The system generates anonymous cryptographic tokens that cannot be reverse-engineered to reconstruct the original biometric characteristics, thus protecting the user’s privacy even in the event of a security breach.
• Proof of ignorance: The authentication process relies on zero-knowledge proof concepts, allowing verification without revealing any underlying biometric information.

Five-factor authentication: Unparalleled security

By leveraging its unique capabilities, the Veintree system enables a robust dynamic five-factor authentication framework:

1. Something you own: the physical scanner and its time and registration metadata.
2. Proof of your existence: verification that the authentication comes from a living person who authenticates themselves like a key in a lock that they created during enrollment.
3. Something you are: the unique venous networks in your hands represent you.
4. Something you encode without needing to remember it: the code changes (slightly) each time and no code can be used twice.
5. Each authentication code or token is specific to individual applications.

This technology can also be integrated with other solutions, such as optional biometric methods or codes and passwords. It is even possible to configure the scanner to incorporate a GPS signal for added security, or for multiple people to form a shared code or part of a multi-signature code. This approach enhances security, particularly in sensitive areas, and can even be applied sequentially if necessary.

This comprehensive approach creates a security device that is extraordinarily difficult to compromise, even with the capabilities of quantum computing. By comparison, most current advanced authentication systems implement only two or three factors at most.

Innovative multi-silos capability

Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of Veintree technology is its ability to generate different cryptographic tokens from the same biological vein pattern using different algorithms. This makes it possible to create a multi-silo architecture with several significant advantages:

• Isolated authentication domains: Different sectors (banking, healthcare, corporate access) can have completely separate authentication credentials derived from the same biometric characteristic, ensuring that a compromise in one domain does not affect the others.
• Multiple keys from a single biometric: A single hand can generate several different “keys” for different “locks”, saving users the trouble of having to manage several authentication methods.
• Separation of identifiers: Different services do not know each other, even when they are authenticated by the same person, which protects privacy and prevents any undesirable correlation between the activities of different domains.
• Biometrics that can be revoked: If a token is compromised, it can be revoked and a new token can be generated using a different algorithm variation, thus overcoming the traditional limitation of biometric permanence.

This multi-silo approach effectively addresses one of the fundamental limitations of traditional biometrics: the inability to revoke or modify a compromised biometric identifier.

With Veintree technology, if a token derived from your vein pattern is compromised, that specific token can be revoked without affecting your ability to authenticate to other systems or generate new tokens.

Authentication tokens as tools for decentralized protocols

The approach to tokenization of authentication used by Veintree aligns with the broader trends of Web3 and decentralized technologies. In the Web3 ecosystem, tokenization represents real or digital assets on a blockchain. This revolutionary technology is changing the way we think about asset management and value transfer.

Veintree’s dynamic authentication tokens serve as tools for decentralized protocols, providing a reliable platform to build on.

These tokens:

• Assign ownership and control: They establish who has legitimate access to systems and data without relying on centralized authorities.
• Strengthen security: By creating a direct link between human biology and digital rights, they reduce vulnerability in a way that traditional authentication does not.
• Enable programmatic rights management: They enable sophisticated, code-based control over who can access what, when, and under what circumstances.
• Support zero trust architectures: They align with modern security paradigms of “never trust, always verify” by requiring continuous verification rather than one-time authentication.

Unlike many blockchain tokens, Veintree’s authentication tokens focus exclusively on rights management, never carrying any actual payload data. This separation between authentication and data management embodies the principle of least privilege, thus reducing attack surfaces.

Rights management without data access

A crucial aspect of Veintree’s approach is its strict separation between authentication and data management. The system manages access rights exclusively on the basis of anonymous tokens generated from vein patterns, without ever accessing, storing or managing payload data. This architectural decision ensures that the authentication layer remains completely separate from the data layer, in accordance with the principle of least privilege.

Customers can design customized program architectures that determine how access rights are structured and managed, while retaining full control over their data. If necessary, customers can establish connections between anonymous authentication tokens and personally identifiable information within their own systems, but this link never exists within Veintree’s infrastructure.

Addressing critical global security challenges

Veintree’s technology directly addresses several critical security challenges facing our interconnected world:

Quantum vulnerability of financial transactions

As quantum computing advances, virtually all financial transactions conducted online today become vulnerable to future decryption. Banking systems, payment processors, cryptocurrencies and financial markets all rely on encryption that quantum computers will eventually break.

By implementing quantum-resistant authentication now, financial institutions can begin the critical process of securing their infrastructure against this existential threat.

« Harvest now, decrypt later » attacks

Foreign entities are already harvesting encrypted data with the intention of decrypting it once quantum computing has reached maturity. This strategy poses a particular threat to the long-term sensitive information of governments, the military and businesses.

Veintree’s quantum-resistant approach ensures that even if encrypted data is captured today, it will remain secure even when powerful quantum computers become available.

Vulnerability of infrastructure and businesses

Critical infrastructure and businesses face increasing risks of sabotage and espionage. As infrastructure becomes more connected through IoT devices and intelligent systems, securing access to these systems becomes paramount. Veintree’s solution provides robust authentication to control access to sensitive operations and systems, preventing unauthorized manipulation.

Safeguarding against hostile takeover of robot and AI systems

A particularly worrying scenario concerns commercial, industrial or military robots that are reallocated by hostile actors.

Without quantum-resistant authentication, the control systems of robotic platforms could be compromised, which could turn these systems against their owners. Veintree authentication guarantees that only authorized personnel can control robotic systems, thus preventing any malicious reallocation (espionage, sabotage, physical attack).

Control of autonomous AI agents

As AI systems become increasingly autonomous, it is essential to ensure that they remain under human supervision. Veintree’s technology creates a secure link between authorized human operators and AI agents, maintaining human primacy while these systems continue to mature. This avoids scenarios in which AI systems could act against human interests due to compromised control mechanisms.

Use cases and applications

Application in critical infrastructures

The protection of critical infrastructures such as electrical grids, water networks and transportation networks requires exceptionally strong authentication. The quantum resistance of the Veintree solution ensures that access controls remain secure, even against state actors with quantum computing capabilities. This is particularly important as infrastructures increasingly integrate IoT devices and become more digitally connected.

Defense and national security

For war and defense organizations, the security of communication systems, weapons platforms and classified information is paramount. Veintree’s quantum-resistant authentication provides a critical layer of protection against current and future threats, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive systems and information.

The decentralized nature of the solution also aligns with defense requirements for systems that can operate even when network connectivity is limited or compromised, providing authentication capabilities at the edge without requiring a constant connection to central servers.

Robotics and artificial intelligence systems

As robotic and AI systems become more widespread and powerful, it is becoming paramount to ensure that they remain under human control. Veintree’s technology creates a secure link between authorized human operators and automated systems, preventing the unauthorized reassignment of robots or AI agents by malicious actors. This helps maintain the primacy of humans over artificial systems as they continue to develop.

Programmable hierarchies and access control

A significant advantage of Veintree’s approach is the possibility of implementing programmable hierarchies for rights management. Organizations can establish sophisticated access control structures that reflect their operational needs.

• Role-based access control: Access rights can be assigned according to organizational roles, with different access levels for different positions.
• Time-based controls: Access can be limited to specific periods and privileges can be automatically revoked outside authorized hours.
• Emergency protocols: Special access schemes can be established for emergency situations, activating broader or reduced privileges only when needed.
• Delegation chains: Authorized users can temporarily delegate specific access rights to others without compromising their own credentials.
• Revocation mechanisms: Access rights can be instantly revoked in all systems in the event of an employee leaving or credentials being compromised.

Real-time control of information flows and logistics for better monitoring/control (enabling an anonymous digital twin of human activities).

These programmable hierarchies allow organizations to precisely control who can access which resources, when and under what circumstances. The flexibility of the system allows organizations to adapt their security arrangements as their needs evolve, without the need to modify the underlying authentication infrastructure.

Applications in critical sectors

The implications of quantum-resistant vein authentication extend to many sectors:

Financial services

In banking and financial services, the technology enables secure transactions without passwords or physical tokens. The multi-silo capability allows different financial institutions to have separate authentication credentials derived from the same biometrics, thus preventing the sharing or correlation of credentials between services. This significantly reduces the risk of fraud while improving user comfort.

Banking institutions, which already recognize the need for “secure and convenient access systems” covering “access to buildings, safes and lockers based on identity, as well as connection to banking and time and attendance systems,” would benefit greatly from this approach.

Healthcare

For healthcare organizations, the solution offers secure access to sensitive patient data while ensuring compliance with privacy regulations. The separation of authentication domains ensures that healthcare access credentials remain distinct from other aspects of a patient’s digital life, thus preventing any unwanted link between medical and non-medical information.

The ability to create separate authentication silos is particularly valuable in the healthcare sector, where maintaining strict boundaries between different types of sensitive data is both a regulatory requirement and an ethical imperative.

Securing our quantum future

As we enter the era of quantum computing, our approach to digital security must evolve. Traditional encryption methods will eventually succumb to quantum attacks, and our authentication systems must be rethought with quantum resistance as a fundamental requirement.

By combining the advantages of dynamic vein biometrics and quantum cryptography in a decentralized architecture that preserves privacy, Veintree has created a solution that addresses current and future security challenges.

The ability to create multiple isolated authentication domains from a single biometric characteristic, combined with the quantum nature of the system, represents a significant advance in authentication technology.

As organizations begin to implement post-quantum security measures in response to NIST recommendations, solutions such as Veintree’s offer a clear path to secure access to sensitive systems and data. By acting now to implement quantum-resistant authentication, we can ensure that our digital infrastructure remains secure, even as quantum computing continues to advance.

The fusion of biology and cryptography that this approach represents does more than solve a technical problem: it helps maintain human action and control in an increasingly complex technological landscape. This human-centered approach to security will be essential to meeting the challenges and seizing the opportunities of the quantum age.

In a world of accelerating technological change, maintaining security, privacy and human control requires innovative approaches that anticipate future threats while addressing current vulnerabilities. Quantum-resistant vein authentication represents just such an approach, bridging the biological and digital worlds to create security systems capable of withstanding the most powerful computing challenges on the horizon.

The Mission: Ensuring Human Sovereignty In The Quantum Age

Veintree’s mission goes beyond security technology. The company is dedicated to preserving human control over increasingly complex and powerful technological systems.

By building a secure bridge between human biology and the digital world, Veintree enables our societies to fully embrace emerging technologies, such as quantum computing, AI and robotics, while mitigating their inherent risks.

This approach promotes continuous technological innovation while ensuring that these advanced tools remain under human direction and authority. The ultimate goal is to enable greater prosperity and freedom through the adoption of technologies, without compromising security or autonomy.

The quantum age concerns every individual, regardless of location or identity. The link between humanity and the digital world is embodied by each person’s unique hands, which symbolize the specificity of human existence.

The humanitarian roots of this technology can be traced back to the “orphans of surviving parents” crisis that followed the Haiti earthquake, reinforcing its fundamentally human-centered design.

Veintree is a digital locksmith that makes quantum locks without making a single key. After all, the only keys you need are your hands.