In 2017, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) started its post-quantum cryptography project and asked for submissions of post-quantum key exchange, public-key encryption, and signature schemes to a competition-like standardization effort. In 2022, the first algorithms chosen for standardization were announced, with finalized written standards expected to be published in 2024.

Infineon is actively participating in the development and standardization process in order to enable a smooth transition and to address security challenges that may arise in the advent of quantum computers. Infineon’s contributions span case studies, demonstrators, whitepapers, and two submissions to the NIST PQC standardization process.

Infineon security experts are members of the teams that submitted the stateless hash-based signature scheme SPHINCS+ and the NewHope key-exchange protocol. SPHINCS+ was recently chosen as one of the schemes to be standardized, not least due to the high level of trust in its security claims. Although NewHope was not selected by NIST, novel techniques introduced by NewHope have been adopted by other schemes.

Besides NIST, other standardization bodies are also focusing on PQC. For example, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) are now running study groups specifically focused on PQC.

The transition from today’s conventional algorithms to PQC will be gradual. The speed of migration depends not only on the availability of quantum computers, but also on the extent to which security is critical for the applications in question, the lifetime of devices in the field, and many other factors. Additionally, the set of PQC algorithms will change over time, reflecting the latest research insights. How can device vendors navigate all of these uncertainties?

The path to success lies in crypto agility; in other words, making sure that devices can evolve to support different crypto algorithms. Looking ahead, adaptability in this dynamic space hinges on the ability to add and exchange crypto algorithms and the corresponding protocols.

The underlying software update mechanisms must be properly safeguarded for crypto agility to work. Once again, Infineon has taken a first step towards providing the necessary safeguards by implementing future-proof, quantum-resistant software update mechanisms on its widely used Trust Platform Module (TPM): OPTIGA™ TPM SLB 9672.