With the quantum threat high on the global security agenda and as governments and their partners plan their transition to quantum-resistance via post-quantum cryptography (PQC), the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced draft standards for post-quantum cryptography – an important and long-awaited information security milestone – in July earlier this year.
Even when PQC algorithms are mathematically secure, they can potentially be broken by a class of exploits known as side channel attacks. These attacks exploit algorithm implementation in hardware or software rather than the underlying mathematical problem, underlining how important it is that any side-channel vulnerabilities are identified and addressed before PQC solutions are widely rolled out.
PQShield has developed a number of quantum-ready cryptographic solutions for hardware, software and communications, and is a major contributor to the NIST post-quantum standardisation project.
Riscure provides evaluation and validation services to reinforce the security of products and components including hardware cryptographic engines, large SoCs, boot ROM, security-enhanced software applications and trusted execution environments. The company also provides Security Tools and Training to help companies improve the security knowledge and expertise of their development teams.
With this project, the two companies will look to evaluate PQShield’s SCA testing process. They will also share knowledge about post-quantum cryptography and its impact on side channel attacks, advancing the understanding of how new quantum-secure algorithms can be secured through robust validation and countermeasures.
PQShield CEO & Founder, Ali El Kaafarani, said: “Side channel attacks are a serious concern for cryptographers working on quantum-secure solutions. Not all devices running cryptographic operations provide the same level of assurance, so while many governments have encouraged organizations to upgrade their secure digital infrastructure, this must be tested and validated before it can stand up to the quantum threat.”
Commenting Marc Witteman, CEO & Founder from Riscure, added, “We have seen a surge in interest from businesses and governments recently looking to secure sensitive data with PQC. We are looking forward to working alongside PQShield, experts in PQC software and hardware co-design, by educating and sharing best practices with industry. With this collaboration we also aim to provide the industry with robust quantum-resistant Side Channel Analysis and lead to integration of PQC into our leading tools - in turn helping all major businesses and governments mitigate the quantum-threat.”
