Enabling Quantum-Safe Cryptography

Uploaded on 2023-05-26 in TECHNOLOGY--Developments, FREE TO VIEW, BUSINESS-Services-IT & Telecoms

Quantum technology is an emerging field of physics and engineering and is a class of technology that works by using the principles of quantum mechanics, which is the physics of sub-atomic particles, including quantum entanglement and quantum superposition. Quantum technology is rapidly advancing and now IBM has announced an end-to-end solution to prepare organisations to adopt quantum-safe cryptography.

IBM's guidance is designed to help organisations prepare for the potential threat posed by quantum computers, which could render current encryption methods obsolete. This recognises that Quantum systems are on a path to solve previously unsolved problems beneficial to business and science, but this progress also poses security risks.

As quantum computers continue to advance, they will reach the ability to break the most widely used security protocols in the world. What IBM calls Quantum Safe technology is a set of tools and capabilities that integrates IBM’s deep security expertise. Quantum-safe cryptography is a technique to identify algorithms that are resistant to attacks by both classical and quantum computers. “By decade’s end, practical quantum computing solutions could impact computing strategies across industries. But it will also profoundly alter how we secure our digital data fabric through cryptography. Organisations are already examining how to upgrade their cyber security to prepare for this new computational era,” says IBM.

IBM's Quantum Safe Roadmap is designed to help government agencies and business meet the requirements and the deadlines for quantum safe cryptography and defines an end-to-end solution.

The roadmap details five stages of preparation for quantum-safe cryptography, starting with educating stakeholders about the need for quantum-safe cryptography and identifying sensitive data that may require quantum-safe protection. “This roadmap serves as a commitment to transparency, predictability, and confidence as we guide industries along their journey to post-quantum cryptography... There’s a lot happening at once, new algorithms, standards, best practices, and guidance from federal agencies. We hope that this roadmap will serve as a navigational tool through this complex landscape,” according to IBM.

The roadmap includes recommendations for implementing quantum-resistant encryption protocols and testing their effectiveness, as well as monitoring the security landscape for emerging quantum threats.

IBM Quantum Safe technology is designed to help clients prepare for the post-quantum era via:

IBM Quantum Safe Explorer - to enable organisations to scan source and object code to locate cryptographic assets, dependencies, vulnerabilities and to build a Crypto-graphy Bill of Materials. This allows teams to view and aggregate potential risks into one central location.

IBM Quantum Safe Advisor - allows the creation of a dynamic or operational view of cryptographic inventory to guide remediation and analyzes cryptographic posture and compliance to prioritize risks.

IBM Quantum Safe Remediator - enables organisations to deploy and test best practice-based quantum-safe remediation patterns to understand the potential impacts on systems and assets as they prepare to deploy quantum-safe solutions.

Analysts are predicting that quantum computers will one day be able to break commonly used encryption methods rendering email, secure banking, crypto-currencies, and communications systems vulnerable to significant cyber security threats. On this basis, organisations, technology providers and Internet standards will soon be required to transition to quantum-safe encryption.

According to IBM, the transition to quantum-safe crypto-graphy will take time, but organisations can begin preparing now by evaluating their current encryption methods and infrastructure.

NATO has already begun testing quantum-safe solutions to investigate the feasibility and practicality of such technology for real-world implementations while the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched a competition to identify quantum-safe encryption algorithms.

The US National Security Agency (NSA) has announced new requirements for national security systems to transition to quantum-safe algorithms by 2025, and the White House released requirements for federal agencies to submit a crypto-graphic inventory of systems that could be vulnerable to cryptographically relevant quantum computers.

As quantum computing technology advances, it will become increasingly important for organisations to adopt quantum-safe encryption methods to protect sensitive data and maintain the security of their systems. IBM's Quantum Safe Roadmap and technology will expose organisations to their existing crypto-graphic landscape so they can begin to address changes that may be necessary to thrive in the post-quantum era.

IBM: IBM: IBM: PA Consulting: Security Week: Oodaloop: Techcircle: CSO: Inside Quantum:

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