Two Members of AKI SR Are Taking Slovak Research into Space: The COSMOS-SECURE Project Will Bring Post-Quantum Secure Voice Communication for Space Missions
The Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic is proud to present the success of two of its members, Decent Cybersecurity s. r. o. and FREQUENTIS Solutions & Services s. r. o., which have jointly secured funding for the four-year research and development project COSMOS-SECURE. The project, with total eligible expenditures of EUR 4,144,273.37 and a requested non-repayable financial contribution of EUR 2,981,048.65, focuses on an area that, until recently, belonged mainly to major space agencies: secure voice communication between ground stations, satellites, and spacecraft crews in an era when quantum computers are beginning to challenge the existing foundations of cryptography.
Slovakia Is Joining the Countries Preparing for the Post-Quantum Era of Space Communication
The COSMOS-SECURE project, whose full title is Secure Communication in Space Research, will be implemented in Piešťany from January 2026 to December 2029. It is co-financed by the European Union under the Slovakia Programme from the European Regional Development Fund and is registered under the ŽoNFP code NFP7401101C907. For Slovakia, this represents a significant step forward. A country that has so far entered the space sector mainly through subcontracting chains is now becoming a place where the cryptographic and communication architecture of next-generation missions is being systematically prepared.
The purpose of the project is to research post-quantum cryptographic protection and efficient communication interfaces for voice communication in the space environment. This means two things at once. First, it concerns the protection of communication between ground personnel and astronauts on a space station or in a spacecraft. Second, it concerns the protection of communication between ground stations connected through a satellite network. Both situations share the same risk: voice communication is a key component of every space mission. It enables crew coordination, the transmission of commands, and operational decision-making in an environment that does not forgive failure.
Why Post-Quantum Cryptography, and Why Now
Current cryptographic methods that protect voice and data communication around the world rely on mathematical problems whose solution is computationally infeasible for classical computers. However, the development of quantum computing is changing this assumption. Many algorithms used today may become vulnerable sooner than the public realizes the full impact of this shift. Space communication is an environment where long-term confidentiality is measured in decades. Data and voice recordings intercepted today may be decrypted tomorrow if the infrastructure does not transition to post-quantum foundations.
That is why COSMOS-SECURE is researching post-quantum approaches designed to ensure that space communication remains confidential, intact, and resilient in the decades ahead. At the same time, the project also addresses the challenges inherent to the space environment itself: signal delay, electromagnetic interference, reliability requirements, and the very limited margin for failure. The consortium’s goal is to validate selected approaches in laboratory and simulated space communication conditions and to prepare knowledge, documentation, and methodologies for further development and certification.
Decent Cybersecurity as Coordinator: The Cryptographic and Cybersecurity Core of the Project
Decent Cybersecurity s. r. o. acts as the applicant and coordinator of the project. For the Slovak cybersecurity sector, this is further confirmation of the position the company has been gradually building in the field of advanced digital infrastructure, post-quantum cryptography, and research for critical environments. Within COSMOS-SECURE, the company leads activity Z0HM01, focused on the research of post-quantum cryptographic algorithms optimized specifically for voice communication systems in space. The work includes the analysis of NIST-approved post-quantum algorithms, the assessment of their latency and computational complexity, optimization for space communication conditions, implementation and testing of prototypes, and research into secure key distribution resistant to quantum attacks.
The expected output is a post-quantum cryptographic module for voice communication in space, a research report on the optimization of post-quantum algorithms for space applications, and a methodology for the certification of post-quantum cryptographic solutions.
The output level is set at TRL 4, which represents component validation in a laboratory environment — a phase after which pilot deployments in real operational scenarios may follow. For AKI SR, of which Decent Cybersecurity is a member, this represents a direct connection between topics the association has long been raising, especially post-quantum cryptography and the protection of strategic communication systems, and real research supported by European funding.
FREQUENTIS Solutions & Services as Partner: Connecting Space with Critical Infrastructure Know-How
The second member of the consortium is FREQUENTIS Solutions & Services s. r. o., part of the international Frequentis Group, which is among the globally recognized suppliers of communication and information systems for control centers with safety-critical tasks. The group has long supplied air traffic control, public safety, public transport, and maritime environments around the world, and its Slovak branch brings to the COSMOS-SECURE project practical know-how that is difficult to replace in the research and development phase.
Within the project, FREQUENTIS Solutions & Services is responsible for activity P1HM02, namely the research of optimal and efficient communication interfaces for voice communication in the space environment and their protection against cyber threats. The work covers the analysis of currently used communication technologies, radio-frequency, optical, and laser communication scenarios, satellite, transmission, and interplanetary communication scenarios, hybrid RF and optical communication models, adaptive communication protocols, and the cyber protection of communication interfaces. Testing is carried out in simulated space communication environments reflecting real conditions. The expected outputs include reference designs for optimal communication interfaces and a prototype of a secure communication solution for space applications, again at TRL 4 level.
Complementary Expertise as a Model for Slovak Industry
What makes COSMOS-SECURE interesting even beyond the narrow space context is the very structure of the consortium. Decent Cybersecurity brings the cryptographic and cybersecurity side, while FREQUENTIS Solutions & Services covers the physical and system layer of critical voice communication. Neither of these layers is sufficient on its own. A post-quantum algorithm without compatibility with a real communication interface remains an academic exercise. Critical voice communication without modern cryptographic protection remains vulnerable to an adversary preparing for the quantum era. By combining both areas, the consortium demonstrates how Slovak industry can cover the entire chain from basic research to a validated prototype without strategic know-how leaving the country.
Why This Project Matters for AKI SR and Its Members
The Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic has long pointed out that the protection of critical infrastructure is no longer merely a matter of fences, cameras, and physical security. Additional layers are emerging — invisible, yet often the most vulnerable: cryptography, communication protocols, satellite links, time signals, and post-quantum readiness. The COSMOS-SECURE project operates precisely within this layer. Although it is formally focused on space communication, its outputs — post-quantum cryptographic modules, certification methodology, and reference designs for secure communication interfaces — are directly transferable to terrestrial critical infrastructure. This includes air traffic control, public safety systems, energy dispatch centers, and defence operations centers.
The fact that two members of AKI SR, Decent Cybersecurity and FREQUENTIS Solutions & Services, were able to prepare a project of this scale, secure European funding under the Slovakia Programme, and build a consortium with complementary expertise is a signal that deserves attention beyond the narrow expert community. Slovakia has the capacity to carry out research and development at a level that brings European resilience within reach — and this work is being done by companies that are also active members of the association representing the interests of critical infrastructure in the Slovak Republic.
The association will closely monitor the achievements of the COSMOS-SECURE project over the next four years. We will provide AKI SR members and the wider public with regular updates on research outputs, validations, and how the project’s findings will translate into security standards for terrestrial critical infrastructure. We congratulate Decent Cybersecurity and FREQUENTIS Solutions & Services on securing the project and look forward to its successful implementation.
