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Friday, Feb 14, 2025
Mugglehead Investment Magazine
Alternative investment news based in Vancouver, B.C.

Cyber Security

Palo Alto Networks collaborates with fellow travellers to prepare for quantum threats

Quantum computers pose cybersecurity threats because they solve problems much faster than classical computers

Palo Alto Networks collaborates with fellow travellers to prepare for quantum threat
Palo Alto HQ in Santa Clara, California. Image from Namaste jinx via Wikimedia Commons.

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW) released a Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) Open API framework in order to prepare for future threats posed by quantum computers.

Announced on Wednesday, the framework closes the circuit on the need for multi-vendor interoperability across the industry. It also allows organizations to build resilient QRNG-based systems.

The convergence of AI, machine learning, deep learning, and classical supercomputing with quantum computing drives the need to secure today’s systems against quantum-enabled attacks. QRNG technology leverages quantum mechanics to generate truly random numbers, enabling the creation of secure cryptographic keys.

Experts recommend combining the recently released NIST post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standards with QRNG to strengthen defenses against future threats. The QRNG Open API framework removes barriers to adoption. This allows global organizations to access top-tier cryptographic operations as they prepare for advancements in quantum computing.

“Helping the world become quantum safe is much more than any one cybersecurity company, government agency or critical infrastructure organization can tackle alone,” said Rich Campagna, senior vice president of product management for Palo Alto.

“Collaboration in the QRNG field is vital to future-proofing against quantum computing threats and we are committed to our work with standards bodies, global governments and our partners to help steer the industry toward standardization.

The QRNG Open API is available through the Palo Alto Networks GitHub portal and can be embedded into any application. Later this year, Palo Alto Networks will integrate the QRNG Open API into its Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs). This will allow the network security platform to generate entropy for cryptographic functions.

Read more: Four researchers aim to democratize quantum computing research

Read more: IonQ inks research deal with United States Air Force for quantum computing

Interoperability provides freedom of choice

Palo Alto Networks is collaborating with QRNG technology partners Anametric, ID Quantique, Qrypt, Quantinuum, Quantropi, and Quside to develop the QRNG Open API to simplify integration by eliminating proprietary silos.

The angle here is to maximize interoperability in multi-vendor networks, giving customers the freedom to choose the best technologies and systems for their needs, whether cloud-based or on-premises. The API accelerates QRNG adoption by addressing barriers through a collaborative, open approach and provides a unified mechanism for accessing high-quality entropy from an external QRNG platform.

Quantum computers pose a significant threat to cybersecurity because they can solve certain problems much faster than classical computers. One major concern is their ability to break widely used encryption methods. Typically, this includes sensitive data like passwords, bank accounts, and even government secrets.

Current encryption systems rely on the difficulty of factoring large numbers or solving discrete logarithms. These are tasks that would take classical computers thousands of years. However, quantum computers, using algorithms like Shor’s algorithm, could solve these problems in hours or minutes, rendering today’s encryption obsolete.

This means that once quantum computers are powerful enough, they could decrypt data intercepted now, even if it’s still secure. This is why cybersecurity experts are racing to develop quantum-resistant encryption (post-quantum cryptography) to stay ahead of this emerging threat. Without action, quantum computing could undermine the trust and security that modern digital systems rely on.

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