National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Unveils Final Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Cybersecurity Protocols

SandboxAQ Enterprise Platform supports transition to NIST PQC Standards through Inventory, Control and Compliance tools

After a standardization process lasting more than six years, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a consortium of hundreds of scientists and engineers from 25 countries, today unveiled the final post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms which will be the standards that will strengthen the world’s cybersecurity defenses.  SandboxAQ has described the transition from quantum-vulnerable protocols (e.g. RSA) to the new standards in this Nature paper. 

• Scaled quantum computers will be able to crack today’s existing public key cryptography algorithms (e.g., RSA) and expose sensitive consumer, financial, government, commercial and health-related data to state-run and non-state adversaries. This was initiated by mathematician Peter Shor in 1994 when he showed how quantum computers could break today’s public key cryptography (i.e., by leveraging Shor’s Algorithm).

• Even though the quantum computers of today cannot yet break current cryptography, adversaries are now conducting Store Now-Decrypt Later (SNDL) attacks – siphoning off encrypted data from public internet traffic as well as private servers and storing it until scaled quantum computers can decrypt it.  This is a current and significant commercial and financial threat to governmental, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, telecom, financial services, and other sectors.

• More than 20 billion devices (e.g. phones, PCs, servers, IoT devices, ATMs, etc.) will need their software upgraded to the new PQC standards for both key exchange and digital signatures, plus additional upgrades to hardware/devices used in “far horizon” products, such as cars, planes, ships, etc.

Jack D. Hidary, CEO of SandboxAQ, author and expert on quantum technologies, as well as other cyber experts at SandboxAQ including Carlos Aguilar, Marc Manzano and David Joseph, can provide commentary on SNDL, emerging quantum threats, the PQC migration process and more.

“SandboxAQ supports NIST for its crucial work over the past six years to ensure that confidential consumer, financial, healthcare and other critical data and intellectual property is protected against emerging quantum threats. With the clarity that NIST provides in this set of security protocols for standardization, enterprises can now begin the inventory process to identify where they are using RSA and other vulnerable protocols so they can switch to the new standards.” – Jack D. Hidary, CEO of SandboxAQ and author of Quantum Computing: An Applied Approach 

Contact:
For additional commentary from Jack Hidary or other cryptography experts at SandboxAQ, please email press@sandboxaq.com.

‍For enterprises interested in the inventory and compliance process of transitioning to the new standards, please contact Chris.Hume@sandboxaq.com. For government entities please contact Jen.Sovada@sandboxaq.com.

‍About SandboxAQ:
‍SandboxAQ is an enterprise SaaS company that recently emerged from Alphabet Inc. in March and secured a significant, over-subscribed nine-figure funding round from some of the world’s most influential investors, VCs and funds. The company develops solutions that leverage AI + Quantum technologies to solve some of the world’s biggest business challenges. Initial cybersecurity customers include Vodafone Business, Softbank Mobile, Mt. Sinai Health System and others.

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