The Linux Foundation has recently made a major announcement with the launch of the Post-Quantum Cryptography Alliance (PQCA), signifying a significant step towards advancing and adopting post-quantum cryptography. The PQCA aims to bring together industry leaders, researchers, and developers in an open and collaborative initiative to address cryptographic security challenges presented by quantum computing.
With the increasing advancements in quantum computing, the need for robust cryptographic solutions capable of withstanding potential attacks from future quantum computers has become increasingly urgent. In recognition of this, the PQCA will strive to facilitate the advancement of securing sensitive data and communications in the post-quantum era.
The foundation has received support from several leading organizations and institutions, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cisco, Google, IBM, IntellectEU, Keyfactor, Kudelski IoT, NVIDIA, QuSecure, SandboxAQ, and the University of Waterloo. The collective efforts of these founding members will play a crucial role in supporting the post-quantum cryptography initiative.
One of the primary objectives of the PQCA is to serve as the central foundation for organizations and open source projects seeking production-ready libraries and packages to align with the U.S. National Security Agency’s Cybersecurity Advisory concerning the Commercial National Security Algorithm Suite 2.0. The inclusion of these stakeholders reflects a broad-based approach aimed at fostering cryptographic agility across the ecosystem, as outlined in the timelines provided.
To support its mission and objectives, the PQCA plans to engage in various technical projects, including the development of software for evaluating, prototyping, and deploying new post-quantum algorithms. By providing these software implementations, the foundation seeks to facilitate the practical adoption of post-quantum cryptography across different industries.
Moreover, the work of the PQCA builds on the foundation laid by many of the founding members over the last decade in preparing for the transition to post-quantum cryptography. Several members have played crucial roles in the standardization of post-quantum cryptography to date, including as co-authors of the first four algorithms selected in the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Project.
One of the key projects of the PQCA is the Open Quantum Safe project, which is devoted to post-quantum cryptography and has been one of the world’s leading open-source software projects since its founding at the University of Waterloo in 2014. Furthermore, the PQCA will also host the new PQ Code Package Project, which will focus on building high-assurance production-ready software implementations of forthcoming post-quantum cryptography standards, with an initial focus on the ML-KEM algorithm.
The PQCA is eager to welcome organizations and individuals to get involved and participate in its mission and initiatives. They encourage interested parties to visit the PQCA website or GitHub page to collaborate with the technical community and learn more about how to become involved in the Alliance.
Overall, the launch of the Post-Quantum Cryptography Alliance represents a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to advance and adopt post-quantum cryptography. With the collective expertise and support of leading organizations, the foundation is poised to drive meaningful progress in addressing cryptographic security challenges posed by quantum computing while laying a strong foundation for future advancements in this critical area.