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Partnership To Develop 'Quantum-Safe' Security for IoT Announced
This week three companies -- DigiCert Inc., Isara Corp. and Gemalto -- announced they are forming a partnership to create "advanced, quantum-safe" secure key management and digital certificates for Internet of things (IoT) devices.
Quantum computing is widely seen as a future threat to most current IT security methods because its promised power will allow it to easily crack many types of cryptography that are currently fairly secure.
The new PKI the companies are developing will, they say, offer "end-to end, reliable" key management that enterprises can trust when the power of quantum computers comes into play against IoT systems.
"DigiCert, Gemalto and ISARA are collaborating today to solve tomorrow's problem of defending connected devices and their networks against the new security threats that the implementation of quantum computers will unleash," commented Deepika Chauhan, executive vice president of emerging markets at DigiCert, in a prepared statement announcing the partnership. "The work we're doing now will ensure that the connected systems that serve as the brains of automobiles, industrial control systems, medical devices, nuclear power plants and other critical infrastructure are safe from those threats in five, 10 and 20 years."
DigicCert will provide the encryption, authentication and hosting of the certificates; Gemalto specializes in "secure key storage and management" via its SafeNet Hardware Security Modules; and Isara is a security company that specializes in quantum-proof cryptography.
"Experts estimate that the dawn of large-scale quantum computing will arrive in the next eight to 10 years, bringing with it the moment when all current public key cryptography can no longer be trusted," commented Scott Totzke, CEO and co-founder at Isara, in the same announcement referenced above. "The work we're doing today ensures that a fundamental element of the security stack, root certificates, is secure by embedding quantum-safe cryptography. This means that IoT manufacturers and other large organizations will have the solutions and tools they need to prepare for the quantum threat well in advance of that date, keeping confidential information and high-value assets safe."
More updates will presumably be provided by the companies as the solution develops.
About the Author
Becky Nagel serves as vice president of AI for 1105 Media specializing in developing media, events and training for companies around AI and generative AI technology. She also regularly writes and reports on AI news, and is the founding editor of PureAI.com. She's the author of "ChatGPT Prompt 101 Guide for Business Users" and other popular AI resources with a real-world business perspective. She regularly speaks, writes and develops content around AI, generative AI and other business tech. She has a background in Web technology and B2B enterprise technology journalism.