Post-Quantum Cryptography: Are You Ready?

By Robert Huntley, EETimes.eu (April 5, 2023)

Most experts suggest large-scale quantum computers will become a reality within the next decade and advise that being prepared is the best policy.

The Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act was signed into U.S. law on Dec. 22, 2022, marking a crucial step in U.S. cybersecurity legislation that commenced in 2016. Back then, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued a call for proposals of post-quantum cryptographic algorithms that could resist attempts by quantum computers to compromise them. Now, eight years and four selection rounds later, NIST has announced its choice of quantum-resistant algorithms for public key encryption (CRYSTALS-KYBER) and digital signatures (CRYSTALS-DILITHIUM and SPHINCS+). The finalized standards will be published in 2024, but that doesn’t mean the semiconductor industry and its customers should wait until then.

The threat that quantum computers pose to classical security methods like RSA and ECC has been growing steadily. It is widely recognized that once commercially available quantum computers have sufficient computation resources, current “hard problem” asymmetrical cryptographic techniques will not be adequate. There is no precise estimate of when large-scale quantum computers will become a reality. However, most experts suggest it is within the next decade and advise that whenever it might happen, being prepared is the best policy. National cybersecurity organizations across Europe are already publishing frameworks and checklists for companies and government agencies, with an emphasis on reviewing and equipping their security infrastructures ahead of time.

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