Optalysys and Google HEIR collaborate on secure computing
The companies say that, by using optical computing, they could significantly speed up the operational speed of fully homomorphic encryption, making the quantum-resilient cryptography method more commercially viable
Optalysys, a company focused on the future of secure computing, has partnered with Google HEIR to integrate its photonic processing technology into HEIR’s compiler toolchain for fully homomorphic encryption (FHE). This integration aims to address the computational challenges of FHE, making it more commercially viable.
FHE is an advanced, quantum-resilient cryptography method that allows encrypted data to be processed without ever needing to be decrypted. It allows organisations to process data while maintaining privacy, opening up opportunities for secure data collaboration across industries, even in untrusted environments. However, the high processing demands of FHE, which are far greater than traditional computing, have posed a barrier to its widespread adoption and commercial viability.
HEIR, a compiler developed by Google, aims to provide an intermediate representation (IR) layer that allows FHE applications to run efficiently across various hardware platforms. HEIR does this by simplifying FHE integration, to make this cryptography method more accessible to developers, paving the way for new commercial applications. Through the partnership, Optalysys plans to integrate its advanced photonic computing technology with HEIR’s compiler, to enable HEIR-generated code to run FHE workloads on Optalysys’ optical processing chips.
“Our partnership with Google HEIR is a milestone for both photonic computing and the FHE ecosystem,” said Nick New, CEO of Optalysys. “This is the first time that photonic processing has been integrated into an FHE toolchain, and the results from our trial demonstrate significant improvements in performance. Optalysys’ technology is uniquely positioned to address the demanding computational needs of FHE and this collaboration is a major step toward faster, more efficient, and accessible encryption.”
Jeremy Kun, SWE, Google Security Research, said: “We are excited about the Optalysys and Google HEIR collaboration, a significant step forward towards practical FHE. This effort showcases how the interplay of sophisticated algorithms, groundbreaking hardware, and user-friendly tools is essential for bringing FHE into the mainstream. HEIR simplifies FHE integration and empowers developers to build real-world, privacy-preserving applications without requiring deep cryptographic expertise. This type of focused investment, bridging the gap between advanced cryptographic research and practical application development, is precisely what’s needed to unlock FHE’s transformative potential for secure computation.”
Following a successful trial, Optalysys will continue to work with Google HEIR to refine and expand the integration of optical computing for FHE, with the ultimate goal of bringing next-generation FHE solutions to market.
