Quantum computing is a present-day actuality that’s altering cybersecurity in elementary methods. The encryption defending our most delicate information right now gained’t stand an opportunity in opposition to highly effective quantum assaults. This implies organizations ought to start adopting post-quantum cryptography (PQC) options now to safe their information in transit. And since wide-area networks (WANs) carry a lot mission-critical information, they’re floor zero. This weblog takes a take a look at key concerns for establishing quantum-safe safety in WAN infrastructure.
The quantum menace panorama and its influence on WAN safety
Our present safety depends on classical encryption, particularly public-key strategies. However these are susceptible to quantum assaults. Think about a robust cryptographically related quantum laptop (CRQC) designed to interrupt right now’s encryption.
This results in a frightening situation known as harvest now, decrypt later (HNDL).
Right here’s the way it works: An attacker secretly copies your encrypted information and the general public key info because it travels throughout your community. When a CRQC turns into out there, it’s used to derive the non-public key. With each the general public and quantum-calculated non-public key, the session key can then be unlocked, and all that delicate, beforehand captured information could be decrypted. This implies any information you ship right now may very well be uncovered tomorrow.
Your WAN wants quantum-safe safety first
Your WAN is the spine that connects information facilities, department places of work, and cloud environments. It carries your most delicate info, usually information that should keep confidential for years. Securing this visitors in opposition to quantum threats is important for stopping future breaches and staying compliant.
Right here’s why a WAN-first strategy to PQC is sensible:
- WAN visitors usually has an extended shelf life for confidentiality. Its journey throughout varied transports between distant websites and information facilities makes it an excellent goal for HNDL assaults.
- At the moment’s classical encryption strategies, particularly these counting on the issue of factoring massive numbers, are straight threatened by quantum algorithms like Shor’s.
- International regulatory our bodies are already issuing tips for defending in opposition to quantum-enabled assaults. Starting along with your WAN helps you get forward of compliance necessities and cut back threat sooner.
- Your WAN edge routers are properly positioned to implement new quantum-safe encryption. Selecting the best infrastructure ensures PQC expertise offers complete protection.
- Fashionable options like SD-WAN, digital non-public community (VPN), and safe entry service edge (SASE) are constructed on sturdy cryptography. PQC is a pure evolution of this foundational safety.
- The centralized nature of WANs makes them well-suited for rolling out hybrid encryption by mixing previous and new cryptographic strategies. This agility will simplify your migration to a totally quantum-safe future.
Constructing a complete post-quantum safety (PQS) technique
Submit-quantum safety (PQS) is about upgrading cryptographic algorithms, protocols, and whole programs to face up to quantum assaults.
A very efficient PQS answer should be complete, specializing in three key areas:
- Encryption: Protects your information in transit from HNDL assaults.
- Authentication: Ensures solely legit customers and units can entry your community.
- Safe boot: Helps make sure the integrity and authenticity of your system’s startup course of.
Whereas the precise timeline for a CRQC is unsure, being proactive is essential. An entire PQS technique ought to deal with all these dimensions, defending your information and infrastructure from each angle.
Defend your WAN from quantum assaults
There are two predominant approaches to creating your WAN quantum-resistant:
Submit-quantum pre-shared key (PPK): This technique affords fast safety in opposition to HNDL assaults. A PPK is a particular key that’s combined along with your classical IPsec session key. Since an attacker can not seize this PPK, even a CRQC can’t work out the true session key. You may arrange PPKs manually or use a quantum key distribution (QKD) system to acquire them. This protects your important information proper now.
Submit-quantum cryptography ( PQC) algorithms: This technique includes adopting new, quantum-safe algorithms. Requirements our bodies just like the Nationwide Institute of Requirements and Expertise (NIST) are quickly approving these. For instance:
- ML-KEM (FIPS-203): For quantum-safe key alternate (encryption)
- ML-DSA (FIPS-204): For quantum-safe digital signatures (authentication)
- LMS (NIST SP 800-208): For making certain the quantum-safe integrity of firmware and software program at a system degree (safe boot)
Cisco 8000 Sequence Safe Routers: Your quantum-safe WAN answer
The Cisco 8000 Sequence Safe Routers are particularly designed for the quantum period, offering strong, quantum-safe WAN connectivity throughout department places of work, campuses, and information facilities.
These routers are constructed with highly effective crypto engines. They will deal with demanding PQC algorithms with out slowing down your community. Excessive-end fashions function the Quantum-Move Processor (QFP) ASIC whereas department and campus routers use a brand new safe networking processor ASIC. Each are optimized for high-throughput crypto offload.
For fast quantum-safe encryption utilizing the PPK technique, Cisco 8000 Sequence Safe Routers help Safe Key Integration Protocol (SKIP) and RFC 8784, which permit the blending of a pre-shared key into the IKEv2 key alternate. The PPK may very well be discovered from QKD programs, or if QKD isn’t out there, PPKs could be configured regionally within the system configuration. This answer allows quantum-safe encryption for IKEv2 IPsec connectivity.
With native PQC options, Cisco 8000 Sequence Safe Routers will help hybrid encryption. This implies you’ll be able to mix an current legacy encryption secret with a brand new, NIST-approved quantum-safe technique’s shared secret throughout the similar crypto information airplane. Based mostly on RFC 9370, this hybrid strategy cryptographically blends a number of shared secrets and techniques to create a stronger session key. The hybrid implementation allows clean migration and permits you to implement ML-KEM algorithms as wanted. All public key cryptography options, together with IKEv2 IPsec, SD-WAN, FlexVPN, DMVPN, IKEv2 Cluster Load-balancing, MACsec with EAP-TLS, SSH, and extra, will provide native PQC encryption capabilities on the Cisco 8000 Sequence Safe Routers.
The Cisco 8000 Sequence Safe Routers are foundational for constructing a quantum-safe encryption answer to your community.
Act now for a quantum-safe future
Quantum computing is not a distant menace; it’s right here, demanding fast motion to guard our digital world. Organizations have to proactively improve their community infrastructure, particularly their WANs, to defend in opposition to quantum assaults.
The transfer to PQC is an pressing step to protect in opposition to threats like HNDL. By prioritizing quantum-safe options to your WAN, you’ll be able to guarantee long-term information confidentiality, meet regulatory calls for, and preserve operational integrity.
Cisco 8000 Sequence Safe Routers are purpose-built for this problem. They provide each fast safety with PPK and a transparent path to native PQC strategies, securing your information in transit and significant infrastructure.
Investing in quantum-capable safety right now with options like Cisco 8000 Sequence Safe Routers is the way you construct resilient, future-proof networks. The time to start out your journey towards quantum-safe networking is now.
