Cybersecurity Company Launches Post-Quantum Cryptography on a Chip

PQShield, a cybersecurity company specializing in post-quantum cryptography (PQC), has developed a silicon test chip that complies with the new NIST PQC algorithms.

Most organizations are expected to implement the new standards on computers via software updates, but some hardware, for example, small Internet of Things (IoT) devices, will not have sufficient performance to handle the new algorithms.

PQShield developed the test chip to enable semiconductor vendors to implement secure PQC solutions and evaluate factors such as power usage, performance, and side-channel analysis (SCA) countermeasures in a real-world environment.

“For the first time, everyone has to look at how they adopt,” said PQShield vice president of engineering Graeme Hickey. 

“It’s no longer a proof of concept or a research item. It’s now something that’s a must-do, and I think we’re going to see an increase in interest from industry and companies looking to work out how to solve the post-quantum problem.”

The industry-first chip incorporates PQShield’s PQPlatform technology focused on platform security for system-on-a-chip (SoC) semiconductor vendors. It enables firmware updates to incorporate updates to standards as they are released.

Referencing field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a type of configurable integrated circuit that can be repeatedly programmed after manufacturing, Hickey said: “It’s much easier to do this type of evaluation on a real product, as opposed to a pre-silicon simulation or using FGPA, and it’s far more reflective of what a final product would look like.”

Related:NIST Releases Post-Quantum Cryptography Algorithms – Industry Reacts

PQShield’s chip also incorporates the Raccoon digital signature scheme for post-quantum environments, which supports masking.