Cloud Security Alliance Sets Countdown Clock to Quantum

Enterprises must begin preparing now to secure themselves in a post-quantum world

The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, began a countdown to April 14, 2030, the date by which CSA estimates that a quantum computer will be able to break present-day cybersecurity infrastructure. CSA’s website will feature a Year to Quantum (Y2Q) countdown clock to serve as a reminder of the threat’s imminence and the need to find and implement new solutions.

“CSA has been a pioneer in educating the cloud and cybersecurity communities on the dangers that quantum computers present to modern-day cybersecurity and those organizations that house sensitive data. The industry needs to be aware that this is a critical security issue both today and tomorrow. Today, data of long term value encrypted by traditional cryptography is already at risk to quantum. In the near future, any type of sensitive data will be at risk. There are solutions and the time is now to prepare for a quantum-safe future,” said Jim Reavis, co-founder and CEO, Cloud Security Alliance.

“There are solutions that can be used to mitigate quantum’s threat. For instance, new quantum-resistant algorithms can be combined with other solutions already utilizing quantum properties like Quantum-Key Distribution (QKD). Together, they are part of a new quantum-safe infrastructure that can already improve cloud security and cybersecurity in general. But these solutions will only be effective if we take the steps to implement them now,” said Bruno Huttner, co-chair, Quantum-safe Security Working Group, and Director of Strategic Quantum Initiatives at ID Quantique.

The Quantum-safe Security Working Group has issued several research papers on quantum computing and the steps companies should take to lessen the danger it presents and prepare for a post-quantum world. Preparing Enterprises for the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Threats explores why and how planning should be implemented to lessen the quantum threat, while Practical Preparations for the Post-Quantum World discusses the cybersecurity challenges and recommended steps companies need to take now to reduce the anticipated new risks due to quantum information sciences.

Interested in learning more about cloud security in the quantum era? Listen to this pre-recorded webinar, Cloud Security in the Quantum Era: Getting Ready for Y2Q .

The CSA Quantum-safe Security Working Group was formed to address key generation and transmission methods that will aid the industry in understanding quantum-safe methods for protecting their data through quantum key distribution (QKD) – a physics‐based technology to securely deliver keys – and post-quantum cryptography (PQC) – mathematical algorithms that are resistant to quantum computing. 

Source: Cloud Security Alliance media announcement