A public-private agency that helps Canadian organizations shift to technologies that protect their encrypted data from being broken by quantum computers has been given a federal grant of $675,000 to help its work.
Public Safety Canada said Tuesday that the money going to Quantum-Safe Canada will support its work to prepare the country’s critical infrastructure for the quantum threat.
Organizations that hold encrypted data include governments, financial institutions, energy providers, research facilities, telcos, and manufacturers of sensitive products.
Quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption may be years away but organizations have to start preparing now, agency executive director Michele Mosca said in an interview.
Michele Mosca, executive director, Quantum-Safe Canada
And ‘now’ means they should have their transition plans to quantum-safe solutions finished by next year. That’s because standardized quantum-resistant encryption algorithms are expected to be approved by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2024, so high-risk organizations can begin their transition. That will include selecting solution providers and testing their solutions.
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IT WORLD CANADA / HOWARD SOLOMON / THOREN