The importance of safeguarding data in the quantum era

Strong cybersecurity is a constant challenge especially as threats, such as ransomware, phishing and others are becoming more targeted and harder to stop with the rise of AI. But there’s another potential threat on the horizon – that of quantum computing.

While not an imminent threat, quantum computing is one of the most complex and far-reaching challenges businesses will face in the future. With its ability to perform complex calculations faster than normal computers, quantum is set to revolutionise scientific fields – and also cybersecurity. This is because its capabilities allow it to break modern encryption methods and expose sensitive data through ‘collect now, decrypt later’ attacks. This underscores how vital it is for organisations to prepare for a future where current cryptographic standards may be rendered obsolete.

How, though can organisations best protect against the quantum threat? And how can they ensure safety in the long term?

Cybersecurity risks faced

Current encryption protocols, such as ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) and RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman), either rely on the difficulty of factoring large numbers or solving discrete logarithm problems for security. However, quantum computers using advanced methods like Shor’s algorithm, which can factor large numbers faster than any other algorithm, could efficiently solve these problems, leaving traditional encryption methods vulnerable to attack.

While a sufficiently powerful quantum computer capable of breaking modern encryption is unlikely to be available within the next decade, this window is narrowing with each quantum-led innovation. The issue is, threat actors are already collecting and storing sensitive data for future decryption, highlighting the need for proactive measures to safeguard information against post-quantum threats now.

To address this demand, the global cybersecurity community is actively developing quantum-safe encryption standards. This includes The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which has spearheaded the Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardisation project. This aims to evaluate and standardise quantum-resistant algorithms, helping to pave the way for the widespread adoption of quantum-safe encryption.

Organisations in the UK are also being urged to prepare for the cybersecurity risks posed by quantum computing, with a recent report by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) identifying data privacy concerns posed by the technology. The government has also established a Quantum Regulatory Forum to promote safe and responsible development. While significant progress is being made in the development of safe and secure quantum computing, specifically mitigating the cybersecurity threats is crucial. But how can this be done?

Addressing threats successfully

Adopting quantum-safe encryption strategies is one mitigation technique. This refers to cryptographic protocols designed to resist quantum attacks. Unlike traditional encryption, which depends on computational complexity, quantum-safe encryption is rooted in mathematical problems believed to be insurmountable even for quantum computers.

Three major approaches are already being explored, with the first being Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) – a secure way of sharing encryption keys using the principles of quantum mechanics, ensuring only the intended recipient can access the key. In cryptography terms, these entangled quantum particles or ‘qubits’ are encoded with cryptographic keys and transmitted between a sender and a receiver. If an eavesdropper attempts to intercept these particles, their quantum states will be disturbed, alerting the sender and receiver to an intruder. This ensures any attempt at unauthorised interception is immediately detected.

Despite facing challenges related to scalability, transmission distance and integration with existing infrastructure, this encryption method is already being put into practice. One example is JPMorgan Chase (JPMC), which used QKD to secure multiple high-speed virtual private networks traversing a single 100 Gbps fibre connecting data centres.

Other quantum-safe solutions include Quantum-Safe Encryption, which ensures a secure key exchange resistant to quantum attacks, and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). This implements cryptographic algorithms believed to be difficult for quantum computers to solve, such as lattice-based encryption. 

While these approaches offer a means of securing data against quantum computing, we must remember that adopting quantum-safe solutions and protecting data poses several challenges. Interoperability, performance impact, and backwards compatibility must be considered, and leaders need to carefully assess existing infrastructure and devise a roadmap for migration to quantum-resistant encryption.

The future of safe quantum

Cyber threats will always evolve; it’s one of the only certainties in cybersecurity. Despite this, the long-term safety of sensitive information remains paramount, and organisations need to look ahead to future technologies. This includes quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms and QKD tools, allowing them to stay resilient in the wake of technical innovation.