Act now to guard against looming threat from quantum computers

Transitioning to quantum-resistant algorithms is a complex and time-intensive process that requires coordinated efforts across industries, governments, and global infrastructures.

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The advent of quantum computing technology and its recent significant developments such, as the Google Willow quantum chip herald potentially revolutionary IT advancements across various sectors.

However, it also poses considerable challenges to security infrastructures, particularly in the domain of the current cryptography solutions deployed.

This has led to the emergence of post-quantum cryptography, a field dedicated to developing cryptographic methods that are secure against potential threats from quantum computers.

In Kenya, the current National Public Key Infrastructure (NPKI) creates a framework for protecting online communications and stored information from unauthorised access and disclosure.

However, the regulatory framework that sets out the security control and operational policy for NPKI, which is managed by the Communication Authority of Kenya, prescribes the use of encryption algorithms deemed vulnerable to quantum computers by the global cryptographic community.

The prescribed cryptographic algorithms are resistant to decryption attacks from standard computers but are not deemed future-proof.

If NPKI’s cryptography is compromised, the consequences would be dire, undermining the entire trust of the infrastructure. Attackers can issue fraudulent certificates, impersonate the identity of legitimate individuals and entities registered with the PKI, execute man-in-the-middle attacks, and undermine the integrity of communications.

The biggest uncertainty is the period before quantum computers can break our current algorithms.

Quantum technology has not matured to the point of posing a significant threat in 2025.

Transitioning to quantum-resistant algorithms is a complex and time-intensive process that requires coordinated efforts across industries, governments, and global infrastructures.

Delaying this preparation risks exposing critical systems to unprecedented security threats once quantum computers reach the capability to break existing encryption.

By acting proactively, we can safeguard sensitive information, ensure the continued trust and functionality of digital systems, and mitigate the disruptive impact of quantum-enabled cryptographic attacks. The time to act is not when quantum computers become a reality, it is now.

The writer is a digital policy and government affairs expert

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