Cryptography is at the heart of internet security. However, much of the currently deployed cryptography is vulnerable to quantum attacks, which will become effective once large-scale quantum computers become feasible. Therefore, the affected cryptographic standards must be replaced by ones that offer security against quantum attacks.
The post-quantum cryptography transition may take organizations ten years to complete, or longer. To remain secure and comply with legal and regulatory requirements, affected organizations should act now. What do you need to know - and what can you do - in order to continue your course of business securely?
Our series of
“Act now, not later” symposia is aimed at higher management and security professionals from government, private sector, and industry.
We kicked off our series in April 2021 with Episode I, with follow-up Episodes happening almost every half year.
Overview past episodes
During
Episode I “Act now, not later” we presented a general introduction to the problem from the perspective of industry, government, and end user.
Then we took
“A closer look” during Episode II, and zoomed in on a number of specific topics, including quantum-safe PKI, the relation between PQC and QKD, and PQC standards & implementation.
Episode III showed the insights of “Early Movers” from industry and government that are working on quantum-safe products, and are aware of the latest developments.
The start of the
“Maiden Voyage” was marked by Episode IV after the first standards had been selected during the summer of 2022.
It had leading researchers behind these standards explain them, whereas industrial players at the forefront of PQC-migration described the consequences of these standards for their cryptographic products.
The next
Episode V focused on “Charting the Voyage” and initiated a more fine-grained, detailed view on PQC-migration.
Central to this view is the notion of “personas”, i.e., an organization's required actions depend on the nature of its (business) operations.
Speakers from the public sector, industry and academia representing various personas cast their views on the PQC migration.
For
Episode VI, we joined forces with the international PKI Consortium and co-organized their second hybrid
Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Conference in Amsterdam, into which our Episode VI was embedded. This international conference welcomed business leaders, industry experts, and representatives from various public and private sectors interested in PQC, offering a diverse program featuring keynotes, breakout sessions, panel discussions, and workshops.
The upcoming Episode VII
— “SAIL Europe!” — takes place in the wake of the publication of the first three NIST PQC standards and marks the transition to a crucial new phase in PQC: joint international action. The program addresses developments on EU policy and collaboration, national action in the Netherlands, current views on the PQC migration process, as well as future PQC standards.
