{"id":13959,"date":"2021-08-12T10:31:58","date_gmt":"2021-08-12T09:31:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=13959"},"modified":"2021-08-12T10:31:58","modified_gmt":"2021-08-12T09:31:58","slug":"ending-cyberattacks-with-post-quantum-cryptography-computer-chip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/ending-cyberattacks-with-post-quantum-cryptography-computer-chip\/13959\/","title":{"rendered":"Ending cyberattacks with post-quantum cryptography computer chip"},"content":{"rendered":"
The team, comprised of researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM)<\/a>, has designed and manufactured an innovative computer chip that proficiently implements post-quantum cryptography, a monumental advancement in IT security that may prevent future<\/a> quantum computer cyberattacks.<\/p>\n In addition to defending IT software from cyberattacks that use quantum computers, the novel chip also employs multiple hardware trojans that help detect this type of malware in the chip factory, adding an extra layer of cybersecurity within the production process.<\/p>\n Cyberattacks on large-scale, industrial operations are becoming increasingly prevalent, with attackers able to obtain vital information on production processes or even cause factories to shut down entirely, which is why the communication between computer chips in the individual components are encrypted. However, this method of encrypting algorithms will be futile in the coming years and, in some cases, even in the present, as the processes utilised by modern computers will be unable to thwart cyberattacks from quantum computers.<\/p>\n Because of this ever-increasing risk to cybersecurity, experts around the globe are working \u00a0to create technical standards for post-quantum cryptography, although this has proved incredibly challenging due to the substantial processing power requirements of this technology.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, a team led by Georg Sigl, a Professor of Security in Information Technology at TUM, has succeeded in this endeavour, fabricating a highly efficient chip that utilises post-quantum cryptography. The novel chip is based on a hardware\/software co-design, where specialised components and the control software supplement each other.<\/p>\n Professor Sigl said: \u201cOurs is the first chip for post-quantum cryptography to be based entirely on a hardware\/software co-design approach. As a result, it is around ten times as fast when encrypting with Kyber \u2013 one of the most promising candidates for post-quantum cryptography \u2013 as compared to chips based entirely on software solutions. It also uses around eight times less energy and is almost as flexible.\u201d<\/p>\n The neoteric computer chip is a type of specialised microcontroller, called an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which can be built bespoke to individual companies\u2019 specifications and in large quantities. Additionally, the researchers modified an open-source chip design that is based on the open-source RISC-V standard. The team also adapted the processor core and special instructions to speed up the arithmetic operations that facilitate the chip\u2019s post-quantum cryptography capabilities, in addition to incorporating a purpose-designed hardware accelerator.<\/p>\nThe imminent danger of quantum cyberattacks<\/h3>\n
A new framework for computer chips<\/h3>\n