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IBM Quantum and Microsoft have established a partnership to address post-quantum cryptography in collaboration with the not-for-profit research organization MITRE, the UK-based cryptography company PQShield, Google’s affiliate SandboxAQ, and the University of Waterloo.
We’re pleased to be part of a new network of cybersecurity entities aimed at promoting the adoption of post-quantum cryptography in both commercial and open-source technologies.
Discover more about the #PQC Coalition.
https://t.co/pSrFX1qPPB | #QWC2023 #UWaterloo pic.twitter.com/vXG6CilQVx— University of Waterloo (@UWaterloo) September 26, 2023
Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) seeks to mitigate the potential risks posed by future quantum computers. Existing cryptographic methods depend on mathematical challenges to thwart decryption efforts.
Breaking or circumventing such encryption using a classical computer would be virtually unfeasible. Some specialists estimate that a binary computer system would require approximately 300 trillion years to decrypt a 1,024-bit or 2,048-bit RSA key.
RSA, named after the computer scientists who initially proposed it, is widely regarded as the benchmark for encryption.
However, theoretically, a quantum computer equipped with adequate hardware and architecture could potentially compromise RSA and similar encryption methods within weeks, days, or even hours.
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As stated in a press release from MITRE:
“Preparing for a PQC transition includes developing standards for the algorithms; creating secure, reliable, and efficient implementations of those algorithms; and integrating the new post-quantum algorithms into cryptographic libraries and protocols.”
Technologies such as blockchain and cryptocurrency, which depend on mathematical encryption, may be especially susceptible to decryption attempts by the hypothetical quantum computers of the future. Nonetheless, it remains uncertain how soon such threats might materialize.
Related: Scientists caution that the ‘quantum revolution’ could hinder economic growth
A study conducted in 2022 concluded that a quantum computer with 300 million qubits (a broad measure of a quantum system’s potential processing capability) would be necessary to breach the Bitcoin blockchain quickly enough to inflict harm. In contrast, the most advanced quantum computers today average just over 100 qubits.
However, based on the architecture outlined in that study, it is conceivable that more sophisticated qubit configurations, chipsets, and optimization algorithms could dramatically alter the calculations involved, significantly reducing the theoretical requirement of 300 million qubits. Consequently, the global technology sector is focusing on quantum-safe encryption.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) selected four proposed post-quantum encryption algorithms in 2022 — CRYSTALS-Kyber, CRYSTALS-Dilithium, SPHINCS+, and Falcon — as candidates for a PQC-safe encryption standard.
On August 24, 2023, NIST announced that three of the algorithms had been approved for standardization, with the fourth, Falcon, anticipated to follow in 2024.
With the algorithms now accepted and (mostly) standardized, the coalition is prepared to commence its mission of leveraging the extensive knowledge and practical experience of its members to ensure that key sectors such as government, banking, telecommunications, and transportation can transition from current to post-quantum encryption.
