SandboxAQ Releases Open-Source Post-Quantum Cryptography Algorithms

Quantum and AI software-as-a-service company SandboxAQ has launched an open-source tool that offers access to the post-quantum cryptography algorithms set to be standardized by NIST.

SandboxAQ said it named the service Sandwich because it enables developers to create their own stack, or “sandwich,” of protocols and implementations that can be embedded in applications without rewriting code.

“Modern cryptography management and cryptographic agility are essential for organizations of all sizes; however, there has been a distinct lack of open-source tools for developers to support these features,” said Graham Steel, SandboxAQ's security group head of product.

“With Sandwich, we're empowering developers to experiment with different types of cryptography – including the new post-quantum cryptography algorithms soon to be standardized by NIST – so they can achieve the right balance of security and performance.”

According to SandboxAQ, Sandwich helps organizations implement crypto-agility and allows audit teams to rapidly verify that cryptography is used according to policy.

Sandwich includes an open-source C library for quantum-safe cryptographic algorithms (libOQS) that gives access to new post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms from NIST. These are being put in place to protect government entities and corporations against cyber threats posed by quantum computers.

Related:SandboxAQ Wins Defense Quantum-Resistant Cryptography Contract

“Properly implementing cryptography is challenging for developer teams of any size and skill, requiring significant time and effort for design, implementation, and testing,” said Taher Elgamal, SandboxAQ advisor and partner at Evolution Equity Partners.

“This will only be exacerbated by the need to transition to new PQC standards. With Sandwich, SandboxAQ has created an elegant solution that enables developers to easily implement cryptography and cryptographic agility into their applications.”

SandboxAQ says future iterations will enable the creation of multi-layered, stacked sandwiches with broader functions and smaller or larger sandwiches as required by organizations.