In this blog, our Deputy CTO, Michael Murphy gives a brief overview of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and what to think about in preparation for your migration journey.
In 1994, Peter Shor discovered that quantum computers could factor numbers much more efficiently than existing (classical) computers. This posed a problem: the security of most of the cryptography we use today is predicated on the difficulty of factoring numbers. With his new algorithm, Shor showed how cryptography once thought secure could now be broken with a large quantum computer.
Now that quantum computers are moving quickly from theory to reality, we need algorithms that even a quantum computer can’t break, known collectively as PQC. Data secured with PQC is safe against both classical and quantum attacks, and many governments and regulators are already urging organisations to migrate.
But what does migration entail, and what are your options? There are two main types of PQC: symmetric algorithms, and asymmetric algorithms. Symmetric algorithms, like AES, are already widely used and are known to be secure against quantum attacks. Asymmetric algorithms, like the newly standardised ML-KEM, are also thought to be quantum safe, though it’s much more difficult to be sure given these algorithms are relatively new and more complex that existing methods.
Both symmetric and asymmetric algorithms are important tools for defending against quantum computing, but precisely which algorithms to use and how to combine them is a complex topic that’s best left to cryptographers. Instead, think about other aspects, such as:
In other words, you don’t need to be an expert in cryptography to migrate to PQC. With the right vendor as your partner, you can think of it like any other project. So why not get started today?