Tech entrepreneur Roman Semiokhin has interests in a variety of different industries, including gaming and esports. This article will look at post-quantum cryptography migration and recent warnings from US government officials highlighting the need for early preparedness to protect digital networks against future threats. The attached PDF delves deeper into the topic of quantum computing and its history and potential future impact.
At the Quantum World Congress staged on 26 September 2023 in Virginia, leading officials took to the stage to discuss federal efforts to defend networks against future threats, anticipating the eventual development of quantum computers that are fault-tolerant.
Florence Lewine serves as a policy advisor to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Cyber, Infrastructure, Risk and Resilience Policy. At the Quantum World Congress, she suggested that post-quantum cryptography migration should start with evaluating which systems are most open to cyberattacks. The attached infographic provides an overview of prominent cybersecurity trends throughout 2023.
Cryptographically superior to contemporary encryption and classical computers, quantum computers create scope to crack encryption algorithms used to protect everything from online banking to critical national infrastructure. Cybersecurity experts warn that ‘Q-Day’ is a matter of years rather than decades away, placing information at risk of ‘Harvest Now, Decrypt Later’ attacks. Indeed, experts are aware that information has already been collected for this purpose en masse, with specialists warning that the threat already exists today, even before the advent of mature quantum computers.
Across the world today, cybersecurity specialists are scrambling to build and secure against quantum computers. Billions have been invested in quantum computing, with China accounting for over half of this investment. In September 2022 alone, China committed $15.3 billion to developing quantum technologies, eclipsing the next two largest investors – America and the EU – combined.
Lily Chen is the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s lead mathematician. At the Quantum World Congress in Virginia, she warned that the replacement of classic public key encryption needed to be done soon, despite the fact that the US government won’t be releasing final, standardised post-quantum cryptography algorithms until 2024. As Lily Chen pointed out, cryptography has become the cornerstone of cybersecurity. The embedded video takes a closer look at cryptography and its various uses today.
Against this backdrop, it is crucial to start laying the foundations for a transition to quantum-resistant standards prior to the release of the finalised standards and algorithms. The onus is therefore on supply chain operators and critical infrastructure to look at vulnerabilities, modernising systems, consulting with technology vendors and taking action to protect against future threats.
