Quantum resilience: A trustworthy internet in the post-quantum era

The unparalleled computational power offered by the envisioned quantum computers would revolutionize many fields for good. However, the one industry that is threatened significantly by the evolution of quantum computers, is cybersecurity. Our current understanding of the laws of physics supports the feasibility of quantum computers. Their emergence, specifically the realisation of Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computers (CRQCs) will break the contemporary asymmetric cryptographic algorithms that underpin the security of almost every important internet protocol. 

In view of this, NIST has shortlisted a few candidates as standards for post-quantum key encapsulation and digital signatures that can run on current classical computers but can withstand the attack conducted by a quantum adversary (i.e., the one who is in possession of quantum computers). As an effort to transition towards the post-quantum era, this presentation will focus on practical lessons learned from replacing pre-quantum cryptographic algorithms with their post-quantum counterparts in important internet protocols such as DNSSEC. Additionally, recent research indicates that vulnerabilities may still exist in post-quantum schemes, particularly in lattice-based candidates. This is due to the newness of these PQC candidates, leading to concerns about future cryptanalytic attacks, either classical or quantum.

 To counter these threats and prevent future attacks, we will talk about hybrid variants of these protocols for ensuring a smooth transition and maintaining compatibility with existing systems. We will discuss, why the hybrid approach is appropriate, what it takes to incorporate hybrid cryptography into existing protocols, and what is the impact on application performance under varying network conditions.

Key Takeaways

1. An understanding of the implications of quantum computing to the security of standard Internet protocols.
2. An understanding of the potential issues arising from incorporation of PQC in different internet protocols.
3. The case for adoption of hybrid crypto systems - their benefits and security assurances to support a safe transition to post-quantum security.