Change is happening fast in our world, and so too in the cutting-edge field of cybersecurity. Strategies for securing data now and into the future are shifting, becoming more modern and sophisticated as technology, mathematics, and the nature of cyberattacks evolve.
As the age of quantum computing approaches, with exponentially greater levels of speed and power, it is essential for organizations to focus on preparing for the unprecedented cyberthreats that will come with it.
Read on to learn more about the quantum threat, and why quantum-proof encryption is so critical to the future of cybersecurity.
The Quantum Threat to Cybersecurity
While quantum computing will likely bring a number of benefits in areas such as renewable energy development, pharmaceutical advances, and greater potential in the finance and manufacturing sectors, it will also inevitably enable cyber attackers to break the current “unbreakable” encryption that underpins the security of our society’s critical infrastructure.
Most of today’s standard algorithms rely on mathematical problems that are extremely difficult to solve. Current public-key encryption has been sufficient for defending against modern computing power. But quantum computing power running Shor’s algorithm will be able to crack the very same difficult-to-solve math problems in mere moments. This is the quantum threat – against which “sufficient” is no longer enough.
What’s more, bad actors are already storing encrypted data, waiting until such time a quantum computer becomes available to break it, meaning data that is secure today will be easily decrypted in the not-too-distant future.
There is a clear need to prepare for this quantum threat, and to make investments in appropriate cybersecurity solutions — the integrity and security of our governments, banking, energy, communications, and other critical systems depends on it.
Quantum-Proof Encryption
So what’s the solution? Effectively responding to the quantum threat necessitates the development of quantum-safe algorithms and new cryptography tools to replace today’s vulnerable encryption systems.
Quantum encryption harnesses the principles of quantum mechanics, and leverages foundational laws of physics like the observer effect (the act of observation alters the observed particles), in order to detect whether communications are being intercepted and eavesdropped on by a third party. In effect, it’s fighting quantum with quantum.
Quantum-proof encryption, also known as post-quantum cryptography, refers to mathematically based cryptographic algorithms capable of securing against cyber attacks using quantum computing.
The US National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) announced four encryption algorithms in July to become part of NIST’s post-quantum cryptographic standard, an important step towards a quantum-safe future, and the wide-scale implementation of quantum-proof encryption systems.
There’s no need to wait for the NIST standard to emerge before taking action — the reality is, the arrival of quantum computing is not a matter of if but when, and sooner rather than later companies will need to start updating their cybersecurity infrastructure to include quantum-proof encryption. Getting ahead of the quantum threat will ensure organizations can secure their data against both traditional cyber attacks, the more sophisticated ones emerging, and the potentially devastating ones of the future.
Theon – The Future of Cybersecurity
The upcoming large-scale use of quantum computers will quickly pierce today’s strongest cryptography, so counter-measures must advance in parallel to ensure the secure storing and sharing of our most sensitive data moving forward.
Theon Technology has been working to generate the next-generation solution.
Our patented methodologies help protect against the impending quantum compute threats with a 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.
Theon offers a cryptography solution that generates more random, less vulnerable keys with intrinsically better entropy, setting a new standard for software-based cryptography, and moving the world closer toward the goals of quantum-proof encryption and perfect secrecy for businesses.
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Quantum-proof your data today — Contact a Theon expert to begin the journey towards a revolution in data security for your organization. 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 cybersecurity.