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NishMath - #postquantum

@arstechnica.com //
References: cyberinsider.com , Dan Goodin ,
Microsoft is taking a significant step towards future-proofing cybersecurity by integrating post-quantum cryptography (PQC) into Windows Insider builds. This move aims to protect data against the potential threat of quantum computers, which could render current encryption methods vulnerable. The integration of PQC is a critical step toward quantum-resilient cybersecurity, ensuring that Windows systems can withstand attacks from more advanced computing power in the future.

Microsoft announced the availability of PQC support in Windows Insider Canary builds (27852 and above). This release allows developers and organizations to begin experimenting with PQC in real-world environments, assessing integration challenges, performance trade-offs, and compatibility. This is being done in an attempt to jump-start what’s likely to be the most formidable and important technology transition in modern history.

The urgency behind this transition stems from the "harvest now, decrypt later" threat, where malicious actors store encrypted communications today, with the intent to decrypt them once quantum computers become capable. These captured secrets, such as passwords, encryption keys, or medical data, could remain valuable to attackers for years to come. By adopting PQC algorithms, Microsoft aims to safeguard sensitive information against this future risk, emphasizing the importance of starting the transition now.

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References :
  • cyberinsider.com: Microsoft has begun integrating post-quantum cryptography (PQC) into Windows Insider builds, marking a critical step toward quantum-resilient cybersecurity. Microsoft announced the availability of PQC support in Windows Insider Canary builds (27852 and above). This release allows developers and organizations to begin experimenting with PQC in real-world environments, assessing integration challenges, performance trade-offs, and compatibility with …
  • Dan Goodin: Microsoft is updating Windows 11 with a set of new encryption algorithms that can withstand future attacks from quantum computers in an attempt to jump-start what’s likely to be the most formidable and important technology transition in modern history.
  • Red Hat Security: In their article on post-quantum cryptography, Emily Fox and Simo Sorce explained how Red Hat is integrating post-quantum cryptography (PQC) into our products. PQC protects confidentiality, integrity and authenticity of communication and data against quantum computers, which will make attacks on existing classic cryptographic algorithms such as RSA and elliptic curves feasible. Cryptographically relevant quantum computers (CRQCs) are not known to exist yet, but continued advances in research point to a future risk of successful attacks. While the migration to algorithms resistant against such

@medium.com //
References: medium.com , medium.com , medium.com ...
The convergence of quantum computing and cryptography is rapidly evolving, presenting both opportunities and threats to the digital landscape. EntropiQ, a startup specializing in quantum solutions, has launched Quantum Entropy as a Service (QEaaS), offering on-demand, crypto-agile quantum entropy distribution. This service is designed for critical infrastructure and integrates with existing systems via API, aligning with NIST SP 800-90 guidelines. To bolster deployment and operational validation, EntropiQ has partnered with Equinix and GIS QSP, demonstrating its platform in secure, scalable environments across various locations, including Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C.

The imminent threat posed by quantum computers to current cryptographic systems is driving the need for innovative security measures. Algorithms like RSA and ECC, which underpin much of today's digital security, are vulnerable to quantum algorithms like Shor's, which can efficiently factor large integers. This has prompted significant research into post-quantum cryptography (PQC), with solutions like SPQR-AC emerging to leverage hybrid cryptographic frameworks combining lattice-based and code-based primitives. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued guidance, urging organizations to plan their transition to quantum-safe cryptography by 2028 and complete migration of high-criticality systems by 2031.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into quantum cryptography to enhance security and build resilience against emerging quantum threats. This fusion of AI and quantum-resistant encryption is aimed at protecting data in the post-quantum era, as AI can aid in developing more robust and adaptive cryptographic solutions. The NCSC's recommendations emphasize the importance of understanding the risks and taking proactive steps to secure digital infrastructure. Furthermore, the concept of "crypto agility" is gaining traction, encouraging businesses to develop the capacity to rapidly adapt encryption standards as quantum computers advance, ensuring continuous protection against evolving threats.

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References :
  • medium.com: AI Meets Quantum Cryptography: Securing Our Digital Future
  • medium.com: How Quantum Computing is a Threat to Cryptography
  • medium.com: Quantum Security: The Silent Threat Coming for Your Business
  • medium.com: Blog post about Post‑Quantum Cryptography.
  • The Next Web: UK’s digital defences need ‘colossal’ overhaul for quantum era

@The Cryptography Caffe? ? //
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has released a roadmap for transitioning to post-quantum cryptography (PQC), establishing key dates for organizations to assess risks, define strategies, and fully transition by 2035. This initiative aims to mitigate the future threat of quantum computers, which could potentially break today's widely used encryption methods. The NCSC’s guidance recognizes that PQC migration is a complex and lengthy process requiring significant planning and investment.

By 2028, organizations are expected to complete a discovery phase, identifying systems and services reliant on cryptography that need upgrades, and draft a migration plan. High-priority migration activities should be completed by 2031, with infrastructure prepared for a full transition. The NCSC emphasizes that these steps are essential for addressing quantum threats and improving overall cyber resilience. Ali El Kaafarani, CEO of PQShield, noted that these timelines give clear instructions to protect the UK’s digital future.

Researchers have also introduced ZKPyTorch, a compiler that integrates ML frameworks with ZKP engines to simplify the development of zero-knowledge machine learning (ZKML). ZKPyTorch automates the translation of ML operations into optimized ZKP circuits and improves proof generation efficiency. Through case studies, ZKPyTorch successfully converted VGG-16 and Llama-3 models into ZKP-compatible circuits.

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References :
  • The Quantum Insider: UK Sets Timeline, Road Map for Post-Quantum Cryptography Migration
  • The Register - Security: The post-quantum cryptography apocalypse will be televised in 10 years, says UK's NCSC
  • Dhole Moments: Post-Quantum Cryptography Is About The Keys You Don’t Play
  • IACR News: ePrint Report: An Optimized Instantiation of Post-Quantum MQTT protocol on 8-bit AVR Sensor Nodes YoungBeom Kim, Seog Chung Seo Since the selection of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standardization algorithms, research on integrating PQC into security protocols such as TLS/SSL, IPSec, and DNSSEC has been actively pursued. However, PQC migration for Internet of Things (IoT) communication protocols remains largely unexplored. Embedded devices in IoT environments have limited computational power and memory, making it crucial to optimize PQC algorithms for efficient computation and minimal memory usage when deploying them on low-spec IoT devices. In this paper, we introduce KEM-MQTT, a lightweight and efficient Key Encapsulation Mechanism (KEM) for the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol, widely used in IoT environments. Our approach applies the NIST KEM algorithm Crystals-Kyber (Kyber) while leveraging MQTT’s characteristics and sensor node constraints. To enhance efficiency, we address certificate verification issues and adopt KEMTLS to eliminate the need for Post-Quantum Digital Signatures Algorithm (PQC-DSA) in mutual authentication. As a result, KEM-MQTT retains its lightweight properties while maintaining the security guarantees of TLS 1.3. We identify inefficiencies in existing Kyber implementations on 8-bit AVR microcontrollers (MCUs), which are highly resource-constrained. To address this, we propose novel implementation techniques that optimize Kyber for AVR, focusing on high-speed execution, reduced memory consumption, and secure implementation, including Signed LookUp-Table (LUT) Reduction. Our optimized Kyber achieves performance gains of 81%,75%, and 85% in the KeyGen, Encaps, and DeCaps processes, respectively, compared to the reference implementation. With approximately 3 KB of stack usage, our Kyber implementation surpasses all state-of-the-art Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) implementations. Finally, in KEM-MQTT using Kyber-512, an 8-bit AVR device completes the handshake preparation process in 4.32 seconds, excluding the physical transmission and reception times.
  • The Quantum Insider: ETSI Launches New Security Standard for Quantum-Safe Hybrid Key Exchanges
  • billatnapier.medium.com: Xmas Coming Early: OpenSSL Finally Enters a Quantum World

@medium.com //
References: medium.com
Recent advancements in cryptography are focusing on post-quantum solutions due to the increasing threat posed by quantum computing to current encryption methods. The PQC4eMRTD project, a significant European initiative, officially commenced on February 28th, 2025, aiming to develop and standardize quantum-resistant cryptographic protocols for electronic machine-readable travel documents (eMRTDs). Funded by the European Union under the Digital Europe Programme, the project addresses the vulnerability of eMRTDs like electronic passports to quantum threats and seeks to provide a blueprint for Europe's transition to quantum-resistant infrastructure.

Key players like Thales, Infineon Technologies, and CryptoNext Security are collaborating on this two-year project, coordinated by Infineon Technologies AG. The initiative encourages collaboration across industries, policymakers, and researchers to accelerate the adoption of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) protocols, ensuring the long-term security of digital identities and electronic travel documents. Furthermore, advancements in post-quantum key encapsulation mechanisms, such as ML-KEM, are being adopted, with Go 1.24 already implementing ML-KEM, highlighting the move towards quantum-resistant cryptographic systems.

Recommended read:
References :
  • medium.com: Post-Quantum Key Encapsulation —ML-KEM Performance Benchmark Between Go Library and Cloudflare…