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In December 2016, the U.S. National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) announced a competition to select new quantum resistant public key encryption algorithms that would eventually supersede the classical RSA and other public key cryptography algorithms that may be vulnerable to future quantum computers. For the past five years they have been receiving nominations, holding conferences, and going through three rounds of selection to determine which ones to recommend based upon security, performance, and other factors. They are very close to completing Round 3 and will announce their initial selections of new algorithms to recommend. Some algorithms still need more study and there will be a Round 4 to see if any additional ones should be standardized too. In the chart below, the algorithms shown as Finalists are being considered for standardization in Round 3 and the algorithms shown as Alternates are being considered for further analysis and possible standardization in Round 4.

Once the Round 3 selections are announced, NIST will publish a report explaining their decisions. After that, there will still be additional work to draft the standards, call for public comments, and the selections probably wont be officially formalized until 2024. But we see these as activities as formalities that wont create any significant changes. In addition, the Round 4 analysis and recommendation activities will take 12-18 months to complete after the Round 4 candidates are announced.

When we listen to presentations from various consultants and quantum computing providers, we often hear the message that enterprises should start investigating quantum computing now or else they will be left behind. But it is our view that it is just as important, if not more, for enterprises to allocate resources and start right now planning how to migrate their entire digital communications infrastructure to use quantum resistant encryption techniques. Although it may take another 10 years or so before a large enough quantum computer is available to run Shors algorithm and break the current public key algorithms, experience has shown that it takes 10 years or more to implement new encryption technology in the thousands of computers and software programs that are in use within a typical enterprise.

For those CIOs who experienced the intensive Y2K conversion activities twenty years ago, this migration will likely be significantly more complex. The number of computers, smartphones, IoT, and other digital devices in use today is orders of magnitude higher than it was earlier this century. Also, while Y2K had a specific deadline of December 31, 1999, no one really knows when the large, powerful quantum machines will be in operation. In addition, any communications of long shelf-life data may be vulnerable to a Harvest Now, Decrypt Later attack that accelerates the time frame when quantum resistant encryption is needed. So, enterprises planning a strategy have some important questions to answer such as:

With the pending announcement of the first selected algorithms from NIST, now would be the time to get going if you havent started already. For additional information on this topic, we recommend reading a white paper from the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) titled A Guide to a Quantum-Safe Organization. You can also visit the Post-Quantum Cryptography website maintained by NIST which contains an archive of the submissions, presentations, workshops and events that have occurred during this program.

March 5, 2022

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NIST Set to Announce Round 3 Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Selections Within the Next Few Weeks - Quantum Computing Report

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Over the past decade, encryption has emerged as one of the key solutions that organizations use to secure enterprise communications, services and applications. However, the development of quantum computing is putting these defenses at risk, with the next generation of computers having the capability to decrypt these PKC algorithms.

While quantum computing technology is still in its infancy, the potential threat of PKC decryption remains. Yesterday, the NATO Cyber Security Center (NCSC) announced that it had tested a post-quantum VPN provider by U.K.-based quantum computing provider Post-Quantum, to secure its communication flows.

Post-Quantums VPN uses quantum cryptography that it claims is complex enough to prevent a malicious quantum computer from decrypting transmissions.

The development of these post-quantum cryptographic solutions offers a solution that enterprises and technical decision makers can use to protect their encrypted data from quantum computers.

NATO isnt alone in taking post-quantum cyber attacks seriously. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently announced that it was developing a standard to migrate to post-quantum cryptography to begin replacing hardware, software, and services that rely on public-key algorithms.

At the same time, the White House is also concerned over the threat raised by post-quantum computing, recently releasing a National Security Memorandum which gave the National Security Agency (NSA) 30 days to update the Commercial National Security Algorithm Suite (CNSA Suite) and to add quantum-resistant cryptography.

The memorandum also noted that within 180 days, agencies that handle national security systems must identify all instances of encryption not in compliance with NSA-approved Quantum Resistant Algorithms and chart a timeline to transition these systems to use compliant encryption, to include quantum resistant encryption.

While quantum computers arent capable of decrypting modern public key algorithms like RSA, Post-Quantums CEO Andersen Cheng believes that as quantum technology develops we will reach a Y2Q scenario, where all these security measures are obsolete in the face of the computational power of weaponized quantum computers.

People frequently talk about commercial quantum computers when referencing this Y2Q moment, and thats a long way off potentially 10-15 years away. But from a cybersecurity perspective, were not talking about slick commercial machines; a huge, poorly functioning prototype in the basement is all thats needed to break todays encryption, Cheng said.

It does not need to go through any benchmark review or certification, and this prospect is much closer and it could happen within the next three to five years, Cheng said.

If Cheng is correct that non-commercial quantum computing solutions could be developed to weaponize quantum computing in just a few years, then organizations have a fine timeline to enhance their encryption protections, or they risk handing malicious entities and nation-states a skeleton key to their private data.

However, its not just data that exposed post-Y2Q thats at risk; potentially any data encrypted data thats been harvested in the past could then be unencrypted as part of a retrospective attack.

Quantum decryption can be applied retrospectively, in that the groundwork for a harvest now, decrypt later attack could be laid today. This means that, if a rogue nation-state or bad actor intercepted data today, they could decrypt this harvested data once quantum computers capabilities exceed those of classical computers, he said.

As more enterprises recognize the need for quantum cryptography in a post-quantum world, the post-quantum cryptography market is anticipated to reach $9.5 billion by 2029, with more than 80% of revenues from the market coming from web browsers, the IoT, machine tools, and the cybersecurity industry.

While quantum computing could pose a substantial threat to enterprises down the line, there are a wide range of solution providers emerging who are developing state-of-the-art post-quantum cryptographic solutions to mitigate this.

One such provider is UK-based post-quantum provider PQShield, which offers a range of quantum-secure solutions from IoT firm to PKI mobile and server technologies, as well as end-user applications.

Some of PQShields most recently developments include researchers and engineers contributing to the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Process, and the company recently raising $20 million as part of a Series A funding round.

Another promising provider is Crypta Labs, which raised 5.5 million ($7.4 million USD) in seed funding in 2020, and recently developed the worlds first space compliant Quantum Random Number Generator, which will be used to securely encrypt satellite data.

Post-Quantum itself is also in a strong position, with its encryption algorithm NTS-KEM becoming the only code-based finalist in the NIST process to identify a cryptographic standard to replace RSA and Elliptic Curve for PKC in the post-quantum world.

In any case, the wave of providers developing state of the art cryptographic algorithms means there are plenty of solutions for enterprises to deploy to mitigate the risk of quantum computing, now and in the future, to ensure that their private data stays protected.

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NATO and White House recognize post-quantum threats and prepare for Y2Q - VentureBeat

Europes deep tech sector is having its moment and accounts for a quarter of the blocs start-up ecosystem.

Deep technology is the generic term that covers all tech that is based on tangible engineering innovation or scientific advances. It includes technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum computing and blockchain.

Europe is seeking to bolster firms in the sector to compete on the global stage. At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Euronews Next spoke to three deep tech start-ups worth keeping an eye on.

The Swiss start-up is developing a technology that measures your facial expressions, such as eye movement and jaw biting through earbuds and then sends those signals to a small box connected to the device, which sits at the back of your neck.

This Internet of Humans technology uses its closed-loop system which translates brain waves and uploads this data to their cloud. Once processed, these signals can tell us a lot about our state of mind, including levels of tiredness, focus and other cognitive activity.

These health insights are then analysed and can help build knowledge about different mental states, which could ultimately help people hear or sleep better.

The start-up is working with the Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda and is validating the technology for sleep onset neuromarker detection.

For the moment, the start-up is at the end of its seed stage and is a business-to-business company but its aim is to roll out its products to consumers, so that it could be used in multiple scenarios, including selecting your music playlist based on your mood.

The technology is still in development and health regulation is still needed.

People will look back in 100 years and they will say people died from perfectly curable diseases because they just didn't know about it, IDUN Technologies chief executive officer and co-founder Simon Bachman told Euronews Next.

I understood that we need to get better in preventative health and for preventative health you need a technology which is accessible by healthy people, he said.

However, he said one of the largest limitations of the medtech area and healthcare area is because regulation means there's a huge barrier to get into the sector.

Bachman said he welcomes regulation and the company has its own neuroethics committee that discusses issues of data sharing. He also said the company is actively participating in the dialogue on how neurotechnology could and should be regulated and is speaking to policymakers.

As for being a European start-up, Bachman said there is literally no drawback.

Europe is the place to be because we are living in a connected world. And you know, the talents in Switzerland, especially, but also in Europe.

Oxford Quantum Circuits: the supercomputer

Quantum computing is another sector that is taking off in Europe. It works by using quantum physics to create new ways of computing.

Quantum computers typically have an edge over regular computers in situations where there are lots of possible combinations, as they can consider these simultaneously.

Quantum computing can be used across multiple sectors, including by businesses for risk analysis, governments for cybersecurity and the pharmaceutical industry.

One start-up based in the United Kingdom that is making strides with this technology is Oxford Quantum Circuits.

We are a pure-play, quantum computers service company, which basically means we build quantum computers and then operate them in the hands of customers so that they can solve some of the world's most challenging problems using quantum to create this quantum-enabled future, Ilana Wisby, co-founder and CEO told Euronews Next.

The company launched this week with Amazon Web Services Amazon Braket so that for the first time quantum computing is now available by public cloud via Amazon Braket in Europe.

Wisby said this was incredibly important because there's a lot of their customers that are already accessing quantum computing, but they haven't had European hours for uptime and they haven't had European data protection.

So these are things that we can now provide, she said, adding that they have now been able to have private customers work with them directly, which opens a much larger market for them.

The Greek start-up MAGOS is developing a hardware and software solution to revolutionise the interaction of users within the digital environment. It has produced an exoskeleton glove that allows you to touch and feel in the virtual world.

The wearable glove-type product is connected with a PC and digitises the motions in your hand with very high accuracy of how the fingers move.

The company uses unique sensors which are connected to every joint and capture every movement and feeling. This technology could be used by clinicians in training to perform procedures remotely and give data to health care providers from a distance, which may revolutionise hand rehabilitation.

We see that the computing devices of the future will be the headsets the TED model displays for augmented reality and or any product that the current hardware will evolve to, Magos CEO and founder Greg Agripolous told Euronews Next.

Though the technology is revolutionary, it is hard to compete as a European start-up, he said.

We have some competitors from the US. The market there is much more mature and corporate and there is more investment in technologies.

And the funds are available in the US way more than in Europe, so we are struggling a lot.

However, Agripolous noted that despite those difficulties the start-up has managed to attract EU innovation funds and is attracting customers from the US.

Can Europe compete?

Europe is trying to bolster its tech ecosystem to rival those of the United States and China with a new initiative.

The European Start-up Nation Alliance (ESNA) was first announced during the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of Europe in November last year.

ESNA is in charge of a new standard for start-ups across the bloc and will compile best practices as well as provide technical support and monitor start-up progress.

It also has the ambitious aim to double the blocs number of unicorns by 2030.

Member states have pledged commitments to ESNA, including France, which has committed to facilitating the creation of 10 to 20 late-stage investment funds with at least 1 billion under management and a boost in deep-tech financing.

At the Mobile World Congress, the digital and economic ministers of Spain, Portugal and Austria met to discuss how ESNA may shake up the blocs start-ups.

Too much fragmentation is another issue the alliance wants to solve.

There are 27 different member states and legal frameworks (...), which is different from the USs single market, said Andr de Arago Azevedo, Portugals Secretary of State for Digital Transition.

Pere Duran, the director of the start-up platform 4YFN (four years from now) said data protection was another issue for the bloc.

I believe that there are several challenges, and one of them is to be able to compete with ecosystems such as China and the US, who probably do not have as many regulations as we do here on the tax areas and data protection," he told Euronews Next.

But Duran said the start-up scene in Europe is "really thriving" and investment in the bloc's start-ups is reaching record levels.

More than 100 billion was invested in European tech last year so it's a very good moment to be a digital entrepreneur in Europe, he told Euronews Next.

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Deep tech: Three mind-blowing start-ups to watch as Europe aims to double its unicorns - Euronews

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`We are investing in new talent and ramping up our presence in tier-II towns to hedge attrition

`We are investing in new talent and ramping up our presence in tier-II towns to hedge attrition

Tech Mahindra, a digital transformation, consulting and business re-engineering services and solutions provider, this year will hire 10,000 freshers. The idea is to increase recruitment substantially in the next year, said the companys MD & CEO, C.P Gurnani in an interview. exclusive conversation with The Hindu. Edited excerpts:

We have got a robust engine for talent management, which hires from the market and also looks at internal fulfillment in a big way. This year, we will add about 10,000 freshers at the bottom of the pyramid and the idea is to really increase it substantially as we go forward in the next year.

To address this issue, we have planned for reskilling and upskilling a little ahead of time, thereby investing heavily in building new skills. In addition to reskilling the workforce, hiring more people, and training them in future skills, we are also investing in new talent and ramping up our presence in tier-II towns to hedge attrition. At Tech Mahindra, we have seen a decline in the attrition rate by 3.3% in Q3. So, overall, we feel confident in addressing the supply-side challenges.

With increased digital transformation across industries, even traditional sectors and businesses are willing to invest more in digitalisation. Therefore, the technology industry has been witnessing large deals recently from across industries. Sectors such as communication, healthcare, BFSI, enterprises are witnessing a strong deal momentum. For instance; in Q3FY22, Tech Mahindra reported deal wins of $704 million, which are broad-based across CME (communications, media and entertainment) and Enterprise verticals. This is the fourth consecutive quarter with such deal wins for us. This makes us committed to delivering more with a strong focus on disruptive technologies like metaverse, web3.0, 5G, blockchain, quantum computing, among others.

To start with, we know multiple industries, especially those involving discretionary spending, were hit hard.The overwhelming impact on the global healthcare system and the subsequent lockdowns and restrictions on activities resulted in huge disruptions globally. The IT industry, too, faced some challenges as remote working and security concerns of customers led to some delays and opportunity losses. However, the industry has been performing well, given an increase in the demand for software, social media platforms, smart solutions and emerging technologies in the new normal.

The acquisitions are in line with our strategy to strengthen digital capabilities and facilitate comprehensive transformation services to our customers globally.Our acquisition of Com Tec Co IT Ltd. (CTC) in January this year will allow us to expand our offerings to high-end digital engineering services for some of the largest insurance, reinsurance and financial services clients in the world. (CTC is an IT services provider focused on BFSI sectors with development centres in Latvia and Belarus). This acquisition will give us renewed focus for growth globally. We see a lot of potential in the insurance segment.

At Tech Mahindra, we are reskilling our associates in next-generation technologies to make them future-ready. We are also strengthening our learning ecosystem and programmes through new collaborations to fill the white spaces and provide a seamless new-age learning experience to our associates. UaaS platform was launched to accelerate the new-age skill developmentof over 60,000 employees globally so that they became a `fit-for-future workforce.The rise of emerging technologies necessitates professionals to upskill and adapt themselves to be productive, efficient, and relevant in the dynamic workplace. With this, organisations will also need to ensure future readiness of workforce by upskilling and reskilling them as well as attracting a more diverse and inclusive workforce with a flexible work structure.

Our Q3 margins were impacted by supply-side challenges and lower utilisation, which were part of a deliberate strategy we followed to augment the people supply, especially at the lower end of the pyramid so that we can bring down our cost of operation in the coming quarters. The headwinds were partially offset by operating leverage and some tailwind in SG&A (Selling, General and Administrative Expenses).

We have a strong focus on upskilling and widening our talent pool as we continue to become more diverse and inclusive. For this, we have already increased our hiring from tier-2 and tier-3 towns like Trivandrum, Vizag, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Calcutta, Indore, Vijayawada, and Coimbatore, among others. We have hired almost more than 8,000 people from these centers in the last couple of quarters. Further, we now have access to talent from various nearshore centres like Mexico, Canada, Latvia, Romania, Costa Rica, and Belarus, among others. Our strategy of investing in internal talent training and hiring from tier-two towns will clearly make a difference.

The pandemic has caused massive disruptions and has changed the way we work, consume and communicate. Over the last two years, we have seen accelerated digitalisation across industries, pushing every enterprise to transform itself into a technology-based organisation. The disruptions in the digital and IT world will propel advances in new-age technologies such as quantum computing, cloud computing, the internet of things, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

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Low margins, low utilisation in Q3 were part of a deliberate strategy for better future quarters: Tech Mahindras Gurnani - The Hindu