Quantum-resistant

Even though most public-key cryptosystems currently in use are based on the presumed difficulty of either factoring large numbers or extracting discrete logarithms, which would not survive widespread use of laptop quantum computers, alternative quantum-resistant public-key systems are not ruled out to the best of our current knowledge.

With the advent of quantum computers, several of the cryptographic constructs underlying the security model of IPsec and TLS will be broken. Breakthroughs in cryptanalysis continue to present a possible threat as well. Quantum-resistant replacements will have to be found for public-key cryptography and for Diffie-Hellman key agreement.

Earlier this week, the NSA announced plans to make plans to transition to quantum-resistant algorithms—so much as they currently exist—while advising everyone else to starting planning to plan for the same.

Moreover, shifting to quantum-resistant algorithms and encryption is theoretical and thus uncertain, but will surely be expensive and a decades-long endeavor.

Business leaders must plan ahead. In order to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals, they must integrate an extra layer of protection by applying quantum-resistant approaches to transform their security environments to avoid a potential breach either today or in the future.