In Today’s Ever-Evolving Cybersecurity Landscape, Staying Ahead Of Potential Threats Is A Constant Challenge. Advanced Persistent Threats, Ransomware, And Wipers Are Just A Few Risks Organizations Must Guard Against. However, Quantum Computing Is One Of The Most Complex And Far-Reaching Challenges On The Horizon. While Not An Immediate Threat, “Collect Now, Decrypt Later” Underscores The Urgency Of Preparing For A Future Where Current Cryptographic Standards May Be Rendered Obsolete.
Thanks To Their Ability To perform complex Calculations Exponentially Faster Than Classical Computers, Quantum Computers Promise To Revolutionize Many Scientific Fields, Such As Chemistry, Physics, And Materials Science. However, They Also Pose A Significant Risk In The Wrong Hands—Potentially Breaking Today’s Encryption Methods And Exposing Sensitive Data To Malicious Actors.
The Threat To Traditional Encryption
Current Encryption Protocols Such As RSA And ECC (Used In HTTPS, SSH, And IPsec VPNs) 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 Could Efficiently Solve These Problems, Leaving Traditional Encryption Methods Vulnerable To Attack.
A Sufficiently Powerful Quantum Computer Capable Of Breaking Modern Encryption Is Unlikely To Be Available Within The Next 8–10 Years, Although Even That Time Is Decreasing With Each Innovation. The Issue Is That Adversaries Are Already Collecting And Storing Sensitive Data For Future Decryption. This Highlights The Need For Proactive Measures To Safeguard Information Against Post-Quantum Threats.
Quantum-Safe Encryption Strategies
To Counteract These Threats, Organizations Must Adopt Quantum-Safe Encryption Techniques That Can Withstand quantum Computing Advancements. Three Major Approaches Are Being Explored Today:
- Quantum Key Distribution (QKD): Leverages Quantum Mechanics To Securely Distribute Symmetric Encryption Keys In An Untrusted Environment
- Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC): Implements New Cryptographic Algorithms Believed To Be Difficult For Quantum Computers To Solve, Such As Lattice-Based Encryption
Fortinet Has Already Introduced Quantum-Safe Security Solutions, Including Integrating The NIST Post-Quantum Encryption (PQC) CRYSTALS-KYBER Algorithm In FortiOS 7.6. However, This Discussion Focuses On QKD And Its Role In Securing Future Communications.
The Network Leveraged QKD Vendor ID Quantique For The Quantum Key Exchange, Fortinet’s FortiGate 4201F For Network Encryption, And Forti Tester For Performance Measurement.
The Race For Quantum-Safe Solutions
In Response To The Looming Threat Of Quantum Computing, The Global Cybersecurity Community Has Been Actively Developing Quantum-Safe Encryption Standards. The National Institute Of Standards And Technology (NIST) Has Spearheaded the Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Project To Evaluate And Standardize Quantum-Resistant Algorithms. Through Rigorous Selection And Cryptographic Analysis, NIST Is Paving The Way For The Widespread Adoption Of Quantum-Safe Encryption.
However, Transitioning From Traditional Encryption To Quantum-Safe Solutions Presents Challenges, Including Interoperability, Performance Impact, And Backward Compatibility. Organizations Must Carefully Assess Their Cryptographic Infrastructure And Create A Roadmap For Migration To Quantum-Resistant Encryption.