The Linux Foundation has announced the creation of the Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQCA) alliance, which aims to address the security challenges associated with the introduction of quantum computing by developing and implementing post-quantum encryption algorithms. The Alliance plans to prepare highly reliable implementations of standardized post-quantum encryption algorithms, ensure their development and maintenance, and participate in standardization and prototyping of new post-quantum algorithms.
The alliance's founders include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cisco, Google, IBM, NVIDIA, IntellectUU, Keyfactor, Kudelski IoT, QuSecure and SandboxAQ, as well as the University of Waterloo. It is noted that among the participants of the initiative there are co-authors of the CRYSTALS-Kyber, CRYSTALS-Dilithium, Falcon and SPHINCS+ algorithms that are resistant to selection on a quantum computer, selected for standardization by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Currently, two projects have been transferred under the auspices of the alliance:
* Open Quantum Safe (OQS) - develops and creates prototypes of cryptographic systems that are resistant to quantum computing. The project develops the open C library liboqs with the implementation of post-quantum algorithms, as well as a collection of projects for integrating these algorithms into various protocols (SSH, TLS, S/MIME and X. 509) and applications (OpenSSL, OpenSSH, mbedTLS, wolfSSL, strongSwan, BoringSSL, libssh).
* PQ Code Package-it is aimed at creating and maintaining highly reliable implementations of post-quantum algorithms that are promoted as standards. At the first stage, it is planned to provide an implementation of the ML-KEM (Module-Lattice-Based Key Encapsulation Mechanism) algorithm, after which work will begin on the implementation of ML-DSA and SLH-DSA. To confirm the reliability of implementations, it is planned to conduct an independent external audit and perform formal verification. In addition, there is interest in continuing to develop existing implementations of ML-KEM in C and Rust, as well as variants optimized using AVX2 instructions and Aarch64 CPU extensions.
The need to promote post-quantum cryptographic algorithms is due to the fact that quantum computers, which are actively developing recently, are radically faster at solving problems of decomposing a natural number into prime factors (RSA, DSA) and discrete logarithm of elliptic curve points (ECDSA), which are the basis of modern asymmetric public key encryption algorithms and are not effectively solved on classical processors. At the current stage of development, the capabilities of quantum computers are not yet sufficient to crack current classical encryption algorithms and digital signatures based on public keys, such as ECDSA, but it is assumed that the situation may change within 10 years.
The alliance's founders include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cisco, Google, IBM, NVIDIA, IntellectUU, Keyfactor, Kudelski IoT, QuSecure and SandboxAQ, as well as the University of Waterloo. It is noted that among the participants of the initiative there are co-authors of the CRYSTALS-Kyber, CRYSTALS-Dilithium, Falcon and SPHINCS+ algorithms that are resistant to selection on a quantum computer, selected for standardization by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Currently, two projects have been transferred under the auspices of the alliance:
* Open Quantum Safe (OQS) - develops and creates prototypes of cryptographic systems that are resistant to quantum computing. The project develops the open C library liboqs with the implementation of post-quantum algorithms, as well as a collection of projects for integrating these algorithms into various protocols (SSH, TLS, S/MIME and X. 509) and applications (OpenSSL, OpenSSH, mbedTLS, wolfSSL, strongSwan, BoringSSL, libssh).
* PQ Code Package-it is aimed at creating and maintaining highly reliable implementations of post-quantum algorithms that are promoted as standards. At the first stage, it is planned to provide an implementation of the ML-KEM (Module-Lattice-Based Key Encapsulation Mechanism) algorithm, after which work will begin on the implementation of ML-DSA and SLH-DSA. To confirm the reliability of implementations, it is planned to conduct an independent external audit and perform formal verification. In addition, there is interest in continuing to develop existing implementations of ML-KEM in C and Rust, as well as variants optimized using AVX2 instructions and Aarch64 CPU extensions.
The need to promote post-quantum cryptographic algorithms is due to the fact that quantum computers, which are actively developing recently, are radically faster at solving problems of decomposing a natural number into prime factors (RSA, DSA) and discrete logarithm of elliptic curve points (ECDSA), which are the basis of modern asymmetric public key encryption algorithms and are not effectively solved on classical processors. At the current stage of development, the capabilities of quantum computers are not yet sufficient to crack current classical encryption algorithms and digital signatures based on public keys, such as ECDSA, but it is assumed that the situation may change within 10 years.
