Quantum Safe Cryptography - A Buzzword or Something More Serious?
2024-12-14 , Rookie track 2

Quantum Computing and Quantum Safe Cryptography seem to be buzzing up hype on all platforms. While no one is seemingly refuting the potential for Quantum Computers, the general sentiment seems to be that Quantum Computers won't be available for some time.

If we stop thinking about Quantum Computers for a minute and just focus on Cryptography it self and how deeply it is embedded into our every day lives, perhaps the problem will become more evident.


The industry is abuzz with the words Quantum Computers and Quantum Safe Cryptography being plastered everywhere. What actually is going on here? Are Quantum Computers really going to cause havoc?

Will Quantum Computers be a real threat some day? Algorithms that make use of Quantum Physics have already been developed that will have real world repercussions on cryptography we use today.

NIST (the National Institute of Standards and Technology), a well known body within cyber security has just released a set of standardised Quantum Safe Cryptographic algorithms. Something that has taken them years of study (8 years infact) to ensure that the algorithms cannot be easily broken or private data and keys decrypted easily.

Well, what does that mean in general, and what does it mean for you? The word Quantum might be used to generate the hype, but the real underlying issue is the integration of cryptography just about everywhere. Cryptography is embedded in our devices, in our routers and networking, in servers, in hardware, in containers, in firewalls, in file-transfer software, and anywhere else you can think of. Digital Certificates help lay the foundations of secure communications everywhere.

Cryptography is a fundamental control used to protect confidentiality and integrity. The real issue lies in the effective migration of cryptography, and in a timescale that ensures protection against an ever-looming threat.


Please confirm that I am a first time speaker and have not spoken in public and will not be before the Bsides London event date (14th December 2024).:

Yes