Companies Prepare To Fight Quantum Hackers

National-security authorities have warned for years that today's encryption will become vulnerable to hackers when quantum computers are widely available. Companies can now start to integrate new cryptographic algorithms into their products to protect them from future hacks. From a report: Some companies have already taken steps to replace current forms of encryption with post-quantum algorithms. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the Commerce Department, published three new algorithms for post-quantum encryption Tuesday. The three algorithms that NIST selected use different types of encryption to protect digital signatures that authenticates information, and cryptographic key exchange, which keeps data confidential. IBM researchers were part of teams that submitted algorithms that NIST selected. International Business Machines is working with companies in telecommunications, online payments and other industries on how to implement the new standards. "Our digital economy is toast unless people go in and change the cryptography," said Scott Crowder, vice president of IBM's quantum adoption group. The new standards from NIST will be influential because they will replace encryption algorithms in use all over the world, said Joost Renes, principal cryptographer at NXP Semiconductors, a key provider of chips to the auto industry. NXP customers in different industries have been asking about the new encryption algorithms and want to make sure their suppliers are prepared to migrate to post-quantum cryptography, Renes said. He said NXP will start using the algorithms as soon as possible but declined to comment on when that will be. "You should really look at this as a kind of ongoing transition project which is going to take quite some time," he said.

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