The White House has unveiled a set of ideas aimed at keeping the United States ahead of the global quantum computing race while also reducing the possibility of quantum computers breaking public-key cryptography. Quantum computers capable of breaking public-key encryption are still years away, but once they do, they might pose a serious threat to national security, financial data, and personal information.
Some projects, such as OpenSSH, have added mitigations in case an attacker obtains encrypted data today in the hopes of decrypting it when such a computer becomes available, but there are currently no official US standards for quantum-resistant cryptography.
The Biden administration’s memorandum outlines the administration’s desire for the United States to maintain its leadership in quantum information science (QIS), as well as a rough timeline and responsibilities for federal agencies to migrate the majority of the country’s cryptographic systems to quantum-resistant cryptography.
The White House wants the US to convert cryptographic systems to ones that are resistant to a ‘cryptanalytically’ relevant quantum computer (CRQC) by 2035, with the goal of “mitigating as much of the quantum danger as is practical.” Government, critical infrastructure, enterprises, cloud providers, and pretty much anywhere else that uses public-key cryptography today will be affected by the move. Counter-intelligence and “well-targeted export regulations” could be used to protect the memorandum.
The brief on quantum cryptography comes after a recent test done by the NATO Cyber Security Centre of secure communication flows that potentially withstand attacks utilizing quantum computers. As China advances in quantum computing, there is a fresh sense of urgency. Last year, Chinese scientists pushed two quantum computers through tests they claimed were more difficult than the ones Google put its 54-qubit Sycamore quantum computer through in 2019 when it claimed to have achieved “quantum supremacy.” Google’s assertion was refuted by IBM researchers.
Quantum computing was named as one of five significant foreign threats by US intelligence authorities in October, alongside China and Russia. Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, semiconductors, and autonomous systems were among the others. The memorandum outlines roles, reporting requirements, and critical dates for relevant federal agencies, notwithstanding the lack of a firm timeline for the relocation.
Standards for quantum-resistant encryption are being developed by the heads of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Security Agency (NSA). By 2024, the first set of these standards will be available to the public. Within the next 90 days, the Secretary of Commerce will collaborate with NIST to form a working group that will include representatives from industry, critical infrastructure, and other stakeholders to discuss ways to accelerate the implementation of quantum-resistant encryption.
