The technology industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by several factors, including the escalating frequency and sophistication of cyber threats, stringent data protection regulations, and the increasing adoption of cloud-based services, as well as and growing importance of technologies such as asymmetric cryptography algorithms such as Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA) and elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), along with hash functions and key management protocols. These technologies play a vital role in safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining robust cybersecurity infrastructures. In the last three years alone, there have been over 4.1 million patents filed and granted in the technology industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Cybersecurity in technology: signcryption. Buy the report here.
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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
190+ innovations will shape the technology industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the technology industry using innovation intensity models built on over 1.5 million patents, there are 190+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, trusted platform modules, signcryption, and homomorphic encryption, are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Zero knowledge proof, physically unclonable functions (PUFs), and multi-factor authentication are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are AES encryption and encrypted content distribution, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for cybersecurity in the technology industry
Signcryption is a key innovation area in cybersecurity
Signcryption is an innovative cryptographic approach that integrates the functionalities of digital signatures and encryption, ensuring both authentication and confidentiality simultaneously. Its purpose is to offer a streamlined and secure method for safeguarding data during network transmission, effectively combining authentication and confidentiality in a single step.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 100+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established technology companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of signcryption.
Key players in signcryption – a disruptive innovation in the technology industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to signcryption
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Assaloy | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China UnionPay | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Qualcomm | 42 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Microsoft | 35 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Siemens | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Apple | 33 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NXP Semiconductors | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Alibaba Group | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State Grid Corporation of China | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Dell Technologies | 84 | Unlock Company Profile |
| F. Hoffmann-La Roche | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| BAE Systems | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mitsubishi Electric | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Network-1 Technologies | 65 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Infineon Technologies | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sony Group | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| IBM | 21 | Unlock Company Profile |
| KDDI | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| BlackBerry | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Intel | 38 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Pure Storage | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Uber Technologies | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Leeo | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Tendyron | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Centre National Research Scientific | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Ruban Quantum Technology | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Dell Technologies is the leading patent filer in signcryption. The company’s patents are aimed at a method for intercepting a remote desktop connection request and connecting to a network gateway based on the request. A first connection with a server is initiated via the network gateway using a first communication protocol. A plurality of cryptographic contexts is exchanged with the server.
A token encrypted using one of the pluralities of cryptographic contexts is received from the server. The token is sent from a client device to the server or a proxy to authenticate the client device, and a second connection is initiated with the server, via the proxy, using a second communication protocol.
Other prominent patent filers in the space include Network-1 Technologies and Qualcomm.
By geographic reach, Dell Technologies leads the pack, followed by Network-1 Technologies and Microsoft. In terms of application diversity, Leeo holds the top position, followed by Sony Group and Infineon Technologies.
Cybersecurity innovation in signcryption has emerged as a crucial development in the field, combining the functionalities of both digital signature and encryption techniques. This advanced approach offers secure communication by ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of data transmission.
To further understand how cybersecurity is disrupting the technology industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Cybersecurity.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
