In the quantum computing era, powerful computers will be able to solve previously intractable problems. However, that power comes at a price; it will be child’s play for quantum computers to overcome our current data security methods. As a result, your systems will be vulnerable to threats.
We’re not in the quantum commuting era just yet. Yet, planning for quantum computing now helps you protect your organization against future threats. Implementing quantum-resistant encryption now can keep your systems and data safe when quantum computing becomes prevalent.
A certificate management tool plays an important role in achieving quantum-resistant encryption. Outdated certificates or certificates with weak cryptography are especially vulnerable to quantum computing’s threats. Effective certificate management today defends you against tomorrow’s risks.
Understanding Quantum Threats
Quantum algorithms continue to advance. More organizations are working on improving quantum computing algorithms, and more funding has been flowing their way. Greater funding and a higher number of organizations working on quantum computing will undoubtedly speed up those advances.
When quantum computing advances far enough to threaten current data security methods, all of your data will be at risk. The most at-risk data is information with long confidentiality lifetimes. Such information includes customer and employee names, birthdays, and Social Security numbers. That data doesn’t change frequently, if at all.
Even before quantum computing reaches maturity, hackers are adopting a harvest now, decrypt later approach. They could steal data now and wait until quantum computing becomes advanced enough to decrypt it. Data with long confidentiality lifetimes has a long shelf life, so they’ll be able to exploit it for years to come.
What role does the vendor ecosystem play in quantum computing readiness? Vendors typically wait for signals from the market to show demand for a particular solution. When it comes to quantum computing readiness, research has shown that many organizations assume their vendors will “bake in” quantum computing safety features. These twin mindsets create a stalemate in which little progress will be made.
There are some vendors that are investing in quantum computing readiness. Organizations can’t wait for the vendor ecosystem to catch up, though. They must start preparing today for tomorrow’s threats.
What Is Quantum-Resistant Encryption?
Quantum-resistant encryption is a form of encryption that can resist attempts by quantum computers to break the encryption. A shift towards quantum-resistant encryption helps organizations prepare for the quantum computing era.
Encryption relies upon algorithms. Today’s encryption algorithms would be very easy for quantum computers to solve. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) chose four algorithms to standardize (that is to say, prepare for quantum computing). The algorithms the NIST chose use math that’s difficult for quantum computers to solve.
The NIST has led efforts to develop standards for encryption strong enough to withstand quantum computing. These standards are meant to provide solutions for a variety of situations. They rely upon different encryption approaches, and they offer more than one algorithm for each type of application, should one prove vulnerable.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Quantum-Resistant Encryption
The most prominent strength of quantum-resistant encryption is its ability to withstand quantum computers’ encryption-cracking efforts. Yet, this type of encryption also has some weaknesses.
Be aware that encryption for the post-quantum computing era requires more computational resources, memory, storage, and communication capabilities. This type of encryption has larger key sizes and uses more complex algorithms. Larger key sizes impact packetization (how data is bundled into packets) and latency patterns in secure communication protocols like TLS. As a result, you might see slowdowns or other negative effects in network devices such as routers, switches, and firewalls.
Migration Patterns and Hybrid Approaches
There are two migration patterns to shift to PQC encryption:
- Immediate
- A phased timeline
The approach you adopt depends on how long it will take to migrate to PQC encryption, the confidentiality lifetime of your data, and projected timelines for threats to come to fruition. You might not know the answer to the first and third points, but you know your data’s shelf life. If you’re sitting on data that could be exploited through the harvest first, decrypt later method, it’s better to shift to PQC encryption now.
A phased approach relies on hybrid encryption. Current encryption algorithms will exist side-by-side with PQC encryption as you migrate completely. Hybrid encryption can help with backwards compatibility.
Readiness and Planning for the Post Quantum Era
Once you’ve decided which timeline you’ll adopt, the next steps are readying yourself for quantum threats.
First, identify which cryptographic assets are vulnerable. For example, there might be thousands of SSH certificates floating around your organization. That’s why automating cryptographic asset management has taken on a new importance. With the risk of hackers stealing data now for later decryption, you need to identify weak cryptographic assets across your entire organization.
Once you’ve identified cryptographic assets, prioritize them by criticality and exposure. An asset might be critical, but if it’s not highly exposed, it takes lower priority.
The next step is establishing technical pilots and test harnesses. Technical pilots set up the framework for how the migration will operate, while the test harness automates the testing execution, manages the test environment, and generates test reports.
Executing Your PQC Migration at Scale
You’ve set a timeline, identified the vulnerable cryptographic assets, prioritized them for migration, and tested. Now, it’s time to migrate at scale.
What makes a successful PQC migration at scale? The answer lies in cryptoagility at the platform and pipeline level. Cryptoagility means that you can replace and adapt cryptographic algorithms for protocols, applications, software, hardware, and infrastructures without interrupting the flow of a running system to achieve resiliency. Attaining cryptoagility at these levels is crucial, because they enable smooth, uninterrupted operations.
Automating certificate lifecycle management helps you achieve cryptoagility. With automated certificate lifecycle management, identifying certificates due to expire becomes fast and simple. You can protect your organization and gain peace of mind that there aren’t weak or expiring certificates floating around.
In addition to the technical aspects of migration, there are human resource and budget considerations. Good governance is essential to any cybersecurity project, and PQC migration is no exception. You need the right people in place to ensure that the project progresses smoothly. Moreover, you need an adequate budget to support human and technical resources. If you don’t have the budget to fund this project, your data could be at risk from opportunistic hackers.
Communicating at every stage of your PQC plan is another critical, non-technical component of PQC migration success. Everyone involved in the project must be aware of timelines and duties, but at a broader level, everyone in the organization must be aware of the risks. When everyone understands what’s at stake, they’ll be more likely to toe the line.
Protecting Yourself from Quantum Risks Now and in the Future
It’s not clear when quantum computing will be able to overcome current data security measures. However, with hackers adopting the harvest now, decrypt later mindset, putting off PQC preparations creates unnecessary risk.
A practical, staged migration to quantum-resistant encryption boosts your success. What happens after the migration, though? Ongoing measurement and program updates enable you to continue protecting your organization against emerging threats.