The Race is On! Crypto Agility vs Quantum Computing. Who is ahead?

by Charles Goldberg on August 6, 2019

Preparing for Data Security in the Quantum Computing Era

Each passing day brings the world closer to the exciting reality of powerful quantum computing. Weather prediction, air traffic control, urban planning, defense strategies, medical research and so much more will be affected by the new era of computing power in ways we can’t even yet predict. But one thing is foreseeable: along with this greater power, some of today’s foundational crypto algorithms will be broken by quantum computers, making data security in a post-quantum world a top concern.

Quantum readiness, or crypto-agility, is critical to protecting and securing data and fending off new threats. Quantum computing is a threat to public key infrastructure and security systems that rely on it. It’s going to take collaborative efforts among scientists, security purveyors and industry leaders to help ensure critical information systems can withstand quantum-level security threats.

Data security must evolve to meet the challenges that will come with the advent of quantum computers. Waiting until quantum computing is widely available ‒ even on a limited scale ‒ before updating a company’s security posture could be a costly mistake.

Thales remains committed to providing a quantum-safe, crypto-agile solution specifically designed to protect against the security threat of quantum computing. In fact, today at Black Hat 2019, we announced that we’re joining forces with ISARA Corp, the leading provider of solutions to protect vulnerable systems against quantum-enabled attacks, and ID Quantique, the world leader in secure quantum random number generation and quantum key distribution, to help organizations combat future risks.

Now, Luna Hardware Security Modules (HSM) and SafeNet High Speed Encryptors (HSE) from Thales support crypto agility. With our partners, these security devices can run quantum computing resistant algorithms and use quantum random number generation. Actually, Abraham Lincoln’s sage advice on preparation could prove useful for CISOs… “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.” We are very fortunate to have time to prepare, gain experience, and make choices on infrastructure that will be safe from the quantum computing revolution.

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As Thales serves customers in the fields of space systems, air traffic control, on-board electronics and government and private information networks, we and our collaborators must obtain increasingly sophisticated technologies, particularly when it comes to detection, analysis and decision-making. While there is no such thing as a silver bullet in terms of cybersecurity, crypto-agility is the next frontier in protection against the processing power of quantum computers.

For more information on how Thales is working with ISARA and ID Quantique to mitigate the risks to data security in a post-quantum world, please read our press release and white paper. And although post-quantum is projected to be a few years away, an enterprise must start planning today to be post-quantum ready. Take this free risk assessment to learn if your organization is at risk of a post-quantum breach.

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