Cryptography as we know it is shifting. With the imminent arrival of quantum computing technology, current data security systems are not nearly as secure as they were once considered to be.
While the exact timeline is uncertain, there is no doubt quantum computing will soon be a viable reality, one businesses will no longer have the option to ignore. Enterprises are already beginning to prepare to mitigate cybersecurity risk by seeking out cryptography solutions now that can withstand a quantum future.
The Quantum Threat to Data Security and What Businesses are Doing About It
Quantum computing is a cutting-edge technology that has generated a fair amount of intrigue and excitement due to its potential to add value for a multitude of sectors and industrial markets.
Numerous companies are throwing their hat into the quantum computing ring — Google scientists claimed to have achieved “quantum supremacy” in 2019 and is aiming to build a useful quantum computer by 2029, IBM has promised to deliver quantum advantage by 2023, and Honeywell has teamed up with Cambridge Quantum to form the world’s largest integrated quantum computing company, while projecting quantum computing to be a $1 trillion dollar industry in the coming decades.
But while the massive computational power of quantum technology is poised to offer a myriad of compelling possibilities and benefits, it also carries a significant increase in risk when it comes to protecting our most critical data assets.
The strength of current public-key encryption systems such as RSA is dependent on the difficulty of factoring products of large prime numbers — the level of difficulty in solving these mathematical problems has maintained a virtually unbreakable cryptography system so far relative to the capabilities of today’s conventional computers. An exponential increase in computational power, however, would render present-day encryption vulnerable and ultimately insufficient — what would take a classic computer millions of years to solve, a quantum computer will be able to do in hours or minutes.
This has serious implications for the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive data stored and shared by businesses, institutions and individuals alike. Data thieves and cyber criminals are becoming bolder as it is, and with data left unsecured against the powerful quantum computers of tomorrow, cybersecurity will be at a point of no return.
If organizations wait until this happens — it will be too late.
So what can be done to mitigate the quantum computing threat?
Many enterprises are already looking to innovative post-quantum cryptography solutions to protect critical data assets now and down the road.
The U.S National Institute for Standards and Technology is leading the drive towards establishing a solid foundation for post-quantum cryptography, having recently announced its selection of four encryption algorithms that will shape NIST’s post-quantum cryptographic standard and lead to a significant increase in the security of our digital information. These quantum-resistant algorithms rely on mathematical problems with a level of difficulty that makes them ultimately unsolvable by both conventional and quantum computers, significantly enhancing the security of our digital information today and tomorrow.
NIST has also provided a roadmap for enterprises to follow on the road to increasing data security ahead of the age of quantum computing, guiding organizations through the transition to post-quantum cryptography.
It’s important for any enterprise to first understand the nature of the quantum threat, and individual potential exposure, and then to go about building a plan now to meet that threat. Being proactive will enable organizations to adjust quickly to incoming shifts in the cybersecurity landscape — and when it comes to cyberattacks and breaches, time is always of the essence.
Encryption Solutions Today for a Quantum Proof Future
Quantum computing is not an “if” but a “when” — Theon Technology is helping organizations protect against quantum threats today, transforming data security with a paradigm shift in data encryption. Theon’s next generation products are focused on providing viable, revolutionary quantum-resistant encryption for both data in flight and at rest.
Our patented methodologies focus on data sovereignty and data security, providing a software approach supporting multiple deployment models, and a product that delivers true One Time Pad (OTP) encryption at enterprise scale.
Current cryptography is in need of a revolution — Theon Technology is leading the charge.
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Ready to get ready for impending quantum threats with quantum-resistant encryption? Contact a Theon expert today to get started. We also have free eBooks available for download, including Cryptography’s End, which preps you with an understanding of the end of cryptography as we know it and why quantum proof encryption is so critical to the future of data security.