QuSecure collaborates with NIST NCCoE on PQC migration

QuSecure, Inc. said it is collaborating with the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) on its “Migration to PQC” Project Consortium. The effort focuses on issues involved in moving from current public-key algorithms to replacement algorithms.

Quantum computers capable of breaking public key cryptography threaten current information systems, according to the announcement. It also cites NIST’s Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) program, which developed standardized Quantum Resistant Algorithms (QRA) to protect digital information. The release said organizations must identify where vulnerable public key algorithms exist across hardware, software, and services and prioritize migration to NIST post-quantum cryptographic algorithms.

Within the consortium, the companies planned work involving automated discovery and inventory and PQC vendors. QuSecure said it will collaborate with Automated Cryptography Discovery and Inventory and PQC vendors to understand tool performance across enterprise environments and use cases, and will test solutions in NCCoE lab environments with enterprise PQC tools to identify capability gaps. The company also said it will share technical expertise and deployment barriers to improve interoperability, implementation performance, and coordination with standards bodies and industry sectors.

“Public-key cryptography is widely used to protect today’s digital information,” said William Newhouse, Security Engineer, NIST National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. “With the advent of quantum computing, and its potential to compromise many of the current cryptographic algorithms, it is critical that organizations begin to plan for many of the technological and operational challenges that a migration to post-quantum cryptography will present. This project aims to help organizations in that effort.” QuSecure SVP Research & Technology Strategy Garfield Jones also said, “This collaboration with the NCCoE brings industry leaders together to tackle one of today’s most pressing cybersecurity challenges – the transition to post-quantum cryptography.” The release said the initial scope will include demonstrating automated discovery tools to identify instances of quantum-vulnerable public key algorithms that are widely deployed, along with outreach to standard developing organizations and industry sectors.