As quantum computing rapidly advances, Thales, a global technology and security provider, announced the launch of their Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Starter Kit - the first of its kind - in a partnership with Quantinuum.

The Starter Kit offers businesses a trusted setting to test quantum-strengthened PQC-ready encryption keys and comprehend the potential impact of quantum computing on their security infrastructure.

The unveiling of this solution is crucial as, despite 73% of organisations acknowledging the potential threat of quantum computing to traditional cryptography, around 61% have yet to devise a strategy to tackle these concerns in a post-quantum world. The PQC Starter Kit aims to address these pre-emptively by allowing enterprises to test their systems, data, and devices that currently depend on traditional cryptography, to ensure minimal disruption when quantum-safe protocols become mandatory.

Todd Moore, Global Head of Data Security Products at Thales, said, "Thales is excited to offer a new solution to its customers to help them prepare for the implementation of Post-Quantum Cryptography. We understand the enormous challenges and complexities behind this upcoming disruption in cryptography and want to support customers as they transition to these new algorithms."

Moore emphasised the importance of early preparedness, stating, "For organisations unsure of navigating this transition, we highly recommend testing current applications, data, and devices that use cryptographic protection as soon as possible to ensure a smooth shift to PQC. Although quantum computing may seem like a future-looking risk, with hackers using Harvest Now, Decrypt Later tactics, post-quantum resilience should be on every organization's radar today."

Duncan Jones, Head of Cybersecurity at Quantinuum, endorsed Thales' efforts, stating, "Hardening encryption keys is critical for the post-quantum era, and Quantum Origin is a unique technology that provides verifiable quantum randomness to maximise encryption key strength. The combination of Quantum Origin and the Thales HSM is a strong solution for IT teams to help them with their PQC transition. We look forward to working with Thales to help smooth the shift to PQC."

Providing a safe lab environment, the PQC Starter Kit enables businesses to test various security use cases, such as PKI, code-signing, TLS, and IoT. This initiative allows customers to examine the impact of applying PQC technology in simulated scenarios, with the added benefit of not affecting operational processes in real-world production environments. Additionally, organisations can identify potential weak spots in their encryption deployment and rectify adjustments to their IT infrastructure to enhance their security.

The PQC Starter Kit comes with Luna HSMs and Quantinuum's quantum random number generation technology, allowing secure generation and storage of keys while testing the PQC algorithms. Customers are offered a range of Luna HSMs - appliance or PCIe card, along with Quantum Origin, the world's premier source of verified quantum entropy. A network encryption variant of the PQC Starter Kit utilising Thales High-Speed Encryptors will be released soon.