INTEC Inc. , a member of the TIS INTEC Group, and Quantinuum have jointly implemented a quantum-safe cryptography certificate issuance function that can be used for customer verification purposes into INTEC’s “Client Certificate Issuance Service for Terminal Authentication (EINS/PKI for Smart Device)”, and will begin offering it from February 2025.
By introducing Quantum Origin, a cryptographic platform using quantum technology provided by Quantinum, into INTEC’s “Client Certificate Issuance Service for Terminal Authentication (EINS/PKI for Smart Device),” INTEC will support the standardization of stronger cryptographic algorithms and achieve advanced security in anticipation of the coming era of quantum computers
Overview of PQC certificate issuing function
Implementation of PQC certificate issuance function in “Client Certificate Issuance Service for Terminal Authentication (EINS/PKI for Smart Device)”
Quantum Origin, a technology from Quantum, has been incorporated into the foundation of the “Client Certificate Issuance Service for Terminal Authentication (EINS/PKI for Smart Devices)” and PQC digital certificates signed with ML-DSA, one of the cryptographic algorithms standardized as the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)*2, are issued.
2 Standards and guidelines for computer systems established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) based on the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA).
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Providing PQC certificates for customer verification
For customers who are considering introducing PQC certificates to their own services and applications before the decryption of existing encryption by quantum computers becomes a real threat, we will provide PQC certificates for verification, helping to achieve long-term data protection and improved reliability of their own services and applications.
Background
Standardization of quantum-resistant cryptography by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
NIST is anticipating the possibility that conventional encryption algorithms such as RSA may be cracked in the future due to the development of quantum computers, and is therefore working on standardizing post-quantum cryptography (PQC), a more robust encryption algorithm.
The selection and public solicitation process began in 2016, and three of the four cryptographic algorithms that were being standardized were adopted as FIPS in August 2024.
In the future, NIST will provide a PQC certificate profile and implementation guidelines, and PQC is expected to be fully incorporated as a U.S. government procurement requirement by 2035.
For this reason, INTEC has begun offering validation certificates to enable companies and service/application developers to validate new cryptographic algorithms in advance and ensure the smooth introduction of PQC certificates.
The Importance of High-Quality Random Number Generation
The reliability of a cryptosystem relies on the strength and unpredictability of the random numbers used to generate keys and for secure communication. However, conventional methods can only approximate randomness, and it is difficult to achieve perfect randomness. Through “Quantum Origin,” Quantinum provides a truly unpredictable random number generation technology that utilizes quantum phenomena. This technology is based on provable quantum random numbers, providing a solid foundation for current and future cryptographic security.
Strengthening INTEC’s “Client Certificate Issuance Service for Device Authentication”
INTEC offers a “Client Certificate Issuance Service for Terminal Authentication (EINS/PKI for Smart Devices)”, building a private certification authority exclusively for customers and issuing electronic certificates for authentication during remote access as well as signing and encrypting data.
In order to strengthen security and standardize PQC for a quantum society, INTEC has incorporated “Quantum Origin,” which is capable of generating quantum random numbers with quantum-quality entropy, into its electronic certificate issuance service application, making it possible to issue more secure PQC certificates.
Future developments
INTEC and Quantinuum will continue to prepare for the commercial provision of PQC certificates, taking into account NIST standardization trends and the future status of PQC certificate implementation in network devices and communication software. We plan to continue updating service functions to ensure that customer data is safely protected with the latest security technology.
SOURCE: PR TIMES
