Jane Edwards
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has announced the launch of a new initiative to advance agency efforts meant to address threats and risks posed by quantum computing to data and critical infrastructure.
The Post-Quantum Cryptography Initiative will build on programs at the Department of Homeland Security and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to help operators and owners of government networks and critical infrastructure as they adopt post-quantum encryption technologies, CISA said Wednesday.
“CISA continually works to understand and anticipate the risks to critical infrastructure from evolving technologies including quantum computing,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly.
“We look forward to continued work with NIST and other key stakeholders to ensure that public and private sector organizations are prepared to effectively manage the transition to post-quantum cryptography,” added Easterly, a 2022 Wash100 Award winner.
The launch of the initiative came a day after NIST announced the first batch of four encryption algorithms designed to resist an attack from a future quantum computer that could potentially break the security codes used to safeguard digital platforms. These encryption tools will become part of the post-quantum cryptographic standard.
