Quantum resistant network encryption
Australian cybersecurity specialist, Senetas, has announced the first high-assurance, quantum resistant network encryption capability, protecting sensitive government and business network data against the emerging threat of quantum computing.
Universally regarded as the most significant threat to cybersecurity in history, quantum computing in the hands of bad actors will put today’s conventional mathematics-based public key data encryption at risk.
Senetas’ quantum evolution enables customers to combine both conventional and quantum resistant encryption in a single platform and provides a secure transition, starting today, to a future quantum-resistant world. Senetas’ new quantum capabilities are available to all current and future customers seeking to leverage the company’s crypto-agile encryption platforms.
Senetas CEO, Andrew Wilson, said that as quantum computing becomes a reality, organisations around the world should develop a quantum security strategy and start planning to implement quantum resistant encryption sooner rather than later, in order to be certain network data is secure for the long-term.
“At its essence, quantum computing uses principles of quantum mechanics to perform certain calculations and tasks at phenomenal speeds. IBM, Google and Microsoft, along with many state sponsored programs, are competing to develop a quantum computer outside a lab environment,” Mr Wilson said.
“The advent of the world’s first practical quantum computer will render today’s conventional public key encrypted infrastructures unsecure, making sensitive information vulnerable across governments’, defence agencies’, and businesses’ public and private networks.
“Today, to decrypt conventionally encrypted data could take thousands of man-years using the most powerful computers available. In the future quantum computers will enable decryption of that data in a matter of seconds, minutes or hours. Good cybersecurity demands that data be secure for the very long-term.”
An industry first
“Senetas is the first to take to market high-assurance, high-speed network encryptors that can provide Quantum Resistant Encryption (QRE) in addition to today’s state-of-the-art classical encryption security. Our government, defence and business customers can make a secure transition to a future quantum-safe world.” Mr Wilson said.
IBM estimates that a working quantum computer outside a lab environment will be a reality within the next five years. However, the likelihood that rogue states are working on quantum computing is high, and it is possible that quantum computing will be in use before the world is alerted to its development.
“In Australia, we have recently seen large-scale cyber-attacks attributed to bad ‘state-based actors.’ Similar cyber-attacks using quantum computers will be devastating unless the data is protected by quantum resistant encryption.” Mr Wilson said.
“Governments and businesses around the world use today’s conventional encryption to protect sensitive data such as private citizen information, intellectual property, government, defence and business secrets and access to critical national infrastructure control systems. Today, they can have the added security of quantum resistant network data encryption capability to ensure they remain secure in the future.”
The Senetas quantum resistant encryption network security solution supports all of the quantum encryption algorithms selected as finalists by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) prior to their expected standardisation as soon as 2022. The Senetas solution also supports the latest European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI) standards for quantum key distribution – an important and emerging security capability that has applications in 5G networks.
Future proofing encryption solutions today requires a combination of conventional cryptography and quantum resistant encryption techniques. Senetas’ quantum resistant encryption will be available to existing customers on their current platforms. The availability of quantum resistant capabilities in a commercial product today, marrying both conventional and quantum security in a single solution, allows Senetas customers to start their transition to a quantum-resistant future.
Senetas will distribute its quantum resistant encryption solutions directly to customers in Australia and New Zealand, and to all international markets through its international distributor, Thales.
