Sectigo, a provider of automated digital identity management and web security solutions, announces the launch of Sectigo Quantum Labs to help organisations prepare for the time when quantum computers render existing standard encryption algorithms obsolete.
As part of the company’s quantum initiative, Sectigo has partnered with ISARA Corporation, a provider of crypto-agile quantum-safe security solutions, to provide enterprises with tools for issuing quantum-safe certificates for users, applications, servers, DevOps, code, and more. Sectigo’s Quantum-Safe Certificate Toolkit is the first solution born of this new partnership.
Digital signature algorithms
In roughly the next decade, advances in quantum computing will eliminate the commercial viability of RSA and ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) encryption and digital signature algorithms, by which time all secrets must be protected by new quantum-resistant algorithms to remain secure. At standard key sizes, RSA and ECC algorithms are effectively impossible to crack using brute force methods on a traditional computer.
Quantum computers are able to attack these algorithms many orders of magnitude faster than is possible
However, quantum computers are able to attack these algorithms many orders of magnitude faster than is possible with 1/0-gated computing architecture. Over time, that means all secrets protected with RSA or ECC will be exposed to potential theft. Quantum computers therefore threaten all of the world’s communication, commerce, finance, transportation, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, research, education, and governmental functions. These consequences are so severe that they sometimes are referred to as the Quantum Apocalypse.
Valuable industry resource
To help computer security experts and IT practitioners understand and prepare for this changing landscape, Sectigo launches Sectigo Quantum Labs. This valuable industry resource kicks off initially to provide enterprises and other certificate users with information to understand the quantum cryptographic landscape and how to ensure continued security through the advent of production quantum computers and beyond.
Sectigo has made more than 40 videos, webinars, white papers, podcasts, and other educational assets, available at no cost for anyone to peruse and download. As the cryptographic community standardises on quantum-safe algorithms, Sectigo Quantum Labs will offer the tools, platforms, and guidance necessary to rapidly and correctly phase in this new cryptography across their systems and services.
Quantum-resilient PKI solutions
“The implementation of any new encryption technology carries risk before it has a chance to mature. The larger focus for organisations should be on building cryptographic agility, so that they’re able to shift to new ciphers as they become available and the impact of quantum capabilities become real,” wrote Eric Hanselman, Chief Analyst, 451 Research, an S&P Company, in a recent report titled, ‘Quantum Computing: Countdown to a Quantum Leap.’
Sectigo also announces its partnership with ISARA Corporation by incorporating quantum-safe cryptographic algorithms from ISARA to create quantum-resilient PKI solutions for deployment in advance of the Quantum Apocalypse.
Quantum-safe certificates
Sectigo’s Quantum-Safe Certificate Toolkit includes the basic tools needed to create quantum-safe certificates
The first solution born of this new partnership, Sectigo’s Quantum-Safe Certificate Toolkit includes the basic tools needed to create quantum-safe certificates for a variety of use cases, along with sample applications showing the use of quantum-safe algorithms. It contains scripts, algorithms, and other information needed for enterprises to issue private-root TLS certificates using candidate quantum-safe cryptography.
Developers and security professionals can use these certificates to evaluate, build, and test systems as they prepare to roll out quantum-safe systems. “Our partnership with ISARA provides Sectigo with a wealth of practical understanding of leading quantum-safe candidate algorithms and how to implement them,” said Jason Soroko, CTO of PKI at Sectigo. “Combining our resources enables enterprises to prove their crypto agility and build concrete plans to roll out quantum-safe certificates as soon as they are commercially available.”
Certificate automation platforms
“Sectigo’s broadly adopted certificate automation platforms are the deployment channel for quantum-safe cryptography,” said Scott Totzke, CEO and Co-Founder at ISARA. “Automation allows IT teams to identify and replace traditional certificates with their quantum-safe equivalents quickly and without error.”
“Once we know which algorithms to use in each specific circumstance, CISOs will want the ability to push them out quickly. Sectigo’s and ISARA’s technical capabilities combine to make that possible,” Soroko added.
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