DigiCert has announced the first World Quantum Readiness Day. It will take place on September 26, 2024. Its goal is to highlight the need for existing security infrastructure to adapt to the cybersecurity threat that quantum computing brings.
Deepika Chauhan, Chief Product Officer, DigiCert said, “Quantum computing holds the key to unlocking new horizons across various sectors, but it also demands a fundamental reevaluation of our cybersecurity frameworks.
“With World Quantum Readiness Day, we’re not just marking a date on the calendar; we’re beginning a global dialogue on the necessity of immediate, concerted action to embrace and secure our quantum future.”
Why is DigiCert doing this?
DigiCert wants organisations to do more to protect themselves against the threats that quantum computing brings. One of the benefits, but also threats, of quantum computing is the massive increase in computational power that will be available.
That power will unlock new applications and make it possible to complete existing compute-intensive tasks far more quickly. That is a huge bonus for several industries and will bring real benefits.
The downside is that, like any technology, it can be misused. The expectation of that misuse is that it will be used to break a number of known encryption standards. Some of those affected have already been listed by NIST, which has also led efforts to create quantum-proof cryptography.
The proposed post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standards are no magic bullet. At least two of the potential PQC solutions that NIST was working on two years ago have already been broken. Others are causing problems with existing applications. Reports from the last few days say that Google’s post-quantum cryptography is causing problems with Chrome.
However, it will take a while for those new encryptions to be adopted and work their way into production. In addition, it won’t protect older data, as few, if any, companies have the time and resources to re-encrypt their data. The other challenge is all the data that has already been stolen, cannot be re-encrypted.
To counter that, companies like Google and Apple are adding new encryption that they say will protect against data theft and future decryption.
Enterprise Times: What does this mean?
We are getting closer and closer to the use of quantum computing as the technology becomes more stable. As we get there, the concerns over its misuse continue to rise. Those concerns are valid. Major technology vendors have already confirmed a range of commonly used encryption standards that are expected to be broken by the technology.
Replacing those standards is no simple task. NIST has been working on the problem for several years but some of the most promising PQC standards are already failing. It means that finding something that is effective, just got harder.
This is why DigiCert wants a World Quantum Readiness Day. It wants organisations to learn from other organisations that are changing what they do now to protect against the future.
DigiCert says it is “at the forefront of this movement, supporting a collaborative approach to foster a quantum-resilient future. By aligning with industry leaders and leveraging collective expertise, DigiCert aims to lead a comprehensive shift toward quantum readiness, mitigating risks and ensuring continued security in the digital landscape.”
