Quantum apocalypse: Experts warn of ‘store now, decrypt later’ hacks

Leigh McGowran / Silicon Republic / 19 August 2022

QuSecure is excited to share a brilliant article by Leigh McGowran, posted by Silicon Republic. The article discusses the future of quantum computing, the threat of SNDL attacks, and the need for change today.

Key points of the article include:

• Quantum computers merge computer science and quantum physics to vastly increase processing power and solve certain types of problem much more effectively than a conventional computer. This will allow quantum computers to perform calculations that would otherwise be impossible.
• There is growing concern among experts that the “Quantum Apocalypse” is approaching. This term is used to describe the potential fallout of quantum computers on an unprepared world. On Q-Day, the day quantum computers are strong enough to break modern encryption, any data which is not quantum-secure will be easily stolen.
• Security measures are being taken to prepare for Q-Day. Last month, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) selected a group of encryption algorithms that could become a new post-quantum cryptographic standard. This is part of a larger government effort to prepare for a post-quantum world.
• Quantum computers are also threatening in the here and now. When data is moved, it is possible for hackers to intercept the transfer and “harvest” or “store” the data. This creates the risk of a “store now, decrypt later” (aka SNDL) attack. This type of attack has grown to become a popular method of attack, with hackers hoping they will be able to decode this data in the future when quantum computers are widely available. For data which is meant to be secure for long periods of time, such as health records or bank information, this is a serious and pressing threat.

We would especially like to highlight a quote from the article, which interviewed Rebecca Krauthamer, QuSecure’s Chief Product Officer. Speaking about SNDL attacks, she said “It really underscores the urgency of getting the rest of our data encrypted properly. We can’t turn back the clock, but we can get ahead of it. We’ve known [NIST’s] standards were coming for some time, and QuSecure set out to be the “easy button” to make this upgrade for enterprise and government.” QuSecure’s crypto-agility allows our solution to adjust to any future standardization changes NIST may make, allowing organizations to future-proof their security.

Read the full article here.