Post-Quantum’s Algorithm - Classic McEliece - Achieves Global ISO Standardization to Protect the World From Quantum Cyber Attack

It’s proven that today’s encryption is vulnerable to attack by a sufficiently mature quantum computer running Shor’s algorithm - a catastrophic event commonly known as Q-Day. Even before such a cryptographically relevant quantum computer emerges it is known that adversaries are stealing encrypted data now, which can be decrypted later - also known as Harvest Now, Decrypt Later (HNDL).

Google’s recent use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to optimise Shor’s algorithm reduces the number of physical qubits required to break today’s encryption, therefore shortening the timeline to Q-Day. This has led prominent experts to estimate today’s encryption may be broken as-soon-as the next three years.

It’s against this backdrop that the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has included the Classic McEliece algorithm as part of its standard for Asymmetric Ciphers (ISO/IEC 18033-2). Organisations from ISO’s 177 member states can now upgrade to Classic McEliece using an international standard that supports interoperability and robust implementation.

Available on an open source basis, Classic McEliece* was pioneered by the team at UK cyber security company Post-Quantum in collaboration with prominent cryptographers. The algorithm uses error correcting codes to build on Professor Robert McEliece’s cryptosystem, originally invented in 1978, providing an ultra-secure code-based option to protect communications in the quantum era.

Recommended by nation states, including Germany’s BSI and its Dutch counterpart and recognised by the crypto community as the most secure PQC algorithm available, Classic McEliece has a wide range of applications, including:

• Forming the backbone of quantum-safe Virtual Private Networks to secure communications between users and infrastructure, like data centres
• Protecting data-in-transit with a long shelf life, such as healthcare data, intellectual property or government secrets
• Securing mobile messaging applications to prevent interception
• Securing connected devices (e.g. drones) to prevent interception
• Securing identity systems to ensure credentials like passwords or biometric identifiers cannot be intercepted and compromised.

Through its partnership with Czech defence manufacturer STV Group, Post-Quantum recently demonstrated the first airborne deployment of Classic McEliece. The programme resulted in the world’s first battlefield-ready quantum-safe drones operating in the most challenging DDIL (Denied, Degraded, Intermittent, or Limited) environments. The drones were successfully tested at STV’s weapons facility - dispelling the myth that the algorithm’s large keysize is impractical for real-world deployment.

Rikky Hasan, CEO at Post-Quantum, commented: “Every major organisation should now have progressed beyond planning to active implementation of quantum-safe encryption. ISO standardisation means Classic McEliece can be implemented more easily and consistently by governments and enterprises across the world. The cryptographic community has attacked the McEliece system without success since the 1970’s and Classic McEliece offers the highest security assurance of any post quantum algorithm available today. Our own work for NATO and STV demonstrates the algorithm’s viability for a wide range of use cases.”

ISO’s decision to standardise Classic McEliece required a successful vote of independent technical experts drawn from ISO’s member states.

Hasan added:“ISO’s standardisation demonstrates the technical community’s belief in Classic McEliece and its suitability for securing communications from attack by quantum computers.”

Founded in 2009, Post-Quantum was the first company with the sole focus to develop and promote post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Specialists in high-grade cybersecurity and encryption innovation, the company works for various secure areas of banks, defence organisations, and governments. The company’s quantum-safe VPN has been successfully tested by NATO and its technology is licensed by defence group STV to secure communications between drones and their operators.

*Classic McEliece is a higher performance and more usable refinement of the original McEliece crypto-system, originally invented by Professor Robert McEliece in 1978. The system works by intentionally inserting random errors as part of the encryption process. Only the intended recipient can successfully decrypt the error-laden ciphertext by employing an error correcting technique. With Classic McEliece, the ciphertext is by far the smallest and most efficient amongst all the known PQC KEMs to date. Its public key is also reusable which makes it ideal for applications that require frequent ephemeral key establishment. Classic McEliece was created following the merger of Post Quantum’s NIST submission NTS-KEM and a submission led by Professor Daniel Bernstein.

About Post-Quantum

Post-Quantum is upgrading the world to next-generation encryption. Our quantum-safe platform includes modular software for Identity, Transmission and Encryption that protect organisations across their entire digital footprint. Products are interoperable, backward compatible and crypto-agile - ensuring a smooth transition to the next generation of encryption.

Post-Quantum works with organisations in defence, critical national infrastructure and financial services, including a multi-year relationship with NATO to ensure its communications are secure against quantum attacks.

The company is the inventor of NTS-KEM, a code-based post-quantum algorithm. Now known as Classic McEliece following the merger with the submission led by Professor Daniel Bernstein. The company is also the original author of the global Internet Engineering Taskforce (IETF) standard for a Hybrid Post-Quantum Virtual Private Network.

As IETF defines how the internet functions, it is inevitable that more and more of the components will become quantum-safe in due course. The company is proactively working on and proposing several new standards to IETF to help shape how the internet will operate in a post-quantum world.

As part of the multi-year journey to secure the world, the company is also a highly valued contributor to the quantum migration consortium established by the US National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCOE).

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