The KeyGuardian is the first commercial handheld device on the global market to offer Post-Quantum Protection (PQC) for confidentiality of data and communications.
Quantum computing is gaining more and more space not only in the media, but also in the research and development budgets of large companies and governments.
No wonder: quantum information theory allows old and difficult problems – such as the simulation of drugs and the calculation of logistic meshes – to be solved quickly and accurately by means of new classes of algorithms. Thus, the solution of “exponentially” difficult problems, when calculated with a quantum computer, moves to the field of solubles, ie, of polynomial complexity.
Roberto Gallo, CEO of KRYPTUS
“However, precisely this paradigm shift allows the fundamental foundations of cryptography employed today to turn to dust: with quantum computers operating, the effort required to break algorithms such as RSA and Elliptic Curves leaves the world of exponential difficulty (“millions of years”) to earthly endeavors,” explains Dr. Roberto Gallo, CEO of KRYPTUS.
Although quantum computers are not for everyone – and cryptographic threats are still not practical – the fact is that people, businesses and governments protect information most of the time for the future: a digitally signed contract needs to have its validity guaranteed by years, classified classified communication may have to be kept that way for decades.
Furthermore, “many intelligence agencies are already collecting encrypted data to be read when the quantum computer is a reality, in an attack known as Store-Now-Decrypt-Later (SNDL) attack,” according to Dr. Waldyr Benits, head of cryptology at the company.
Exactly for this reason, regulatory bodies around the world, in particular the American NIST, have not only sought the standardization of algorithms resistant to quantum computers (called Post-Quantum algorithms), but also recommended that organizations already have a clear transition plan of their systems in the present.
Aware of this movement, in line with its historical leadership in innovation, Kryptus launched the new version of its KeyGuardian (KG) crypto portable computer, which now has full resistance to quantum computers in both symmetric and asymmetric operations.
For symmetric operations, KG supports PQC both through single-string encryption (also called one-time pad – OTP) and running symmetric block algorithms with keys of up to 512 bits. As for the asymmetric secrecy operation, the KG has an algorithm selected in round 3 by NIST, in the PQC Standardization Process.
With this, the KeyGuardian becomes the first commercially available portable device in the global market to offer integral Post-Quantum Protection (PQC) for confidentiality of data and communications.
Used by customers inside and outside Brazil, KG can be used in multiple use cases, such as encryption and signing of documents, files and folders, establishing VPNs, file custody on-device in encrypted volume and second authentication factor. “With PQC, we see great potential for expanding the solution in the most diverse market segments”, concludes Gallo.
About Kryptus
KRYPTUS has been investing for almost 20 years in the development of state-of-the-art cryptographic technology, maintaining a team of cryptologists (crypto specialists) for the study, evaluation and development of solutions that are ahead of current and future cyber threats. It is a pioneer in the HSM market with its ASI-HSM line, the first to have its key lifecycle protocol peer-reviewed, the first to be certified ICP-Brasil, the first to obtain dual certification with FIPS-140 , and the first to have the native KMIP interface. kNET HSM is the newest member of this family: a high-performance multitenant device, prepared to meet the requirements for post-quantum evolution, offering natively symmetric cryptography algorithms and the guarantee of a safe environment for its processing given by the international certification FIPS 140-2 Level 3.
More on OTP Encryption:
One-Time Pad, or OTP, is an encryption technique where each byte of plaintext data is combined with another byte of a truly random sequence (the OTP keystream) to produce the ciphertext. To decrypt a message, the other party must have an exact copy of the OTP block to reverse the process. As the name implies, a disposable pad is meant to be used only once and then destroyed. When applied correctly, OTP encryption provides a truly unbreakable cipher supported by Information Theory. Therefore, its use is highly recommended for military, diplomatic and intelligence agency communications.
Originally described in 1882 by the American banker Frank Miller, it was reinvented in 1917 by Gilbert Vernam and Joseph Mauborgne. Its name originates from the sheets of paper (blocks) on which the key flow was usually printed. As the latest security technique, OTP encryption protects essential applications such as the so-called “Red Phone” that links the White House to the Kremlin.
