PQShield announces major new collaborations with Tata Consultancy Services and eShard as organisations commit to implementing post-quantum cryptography

• PQShield is a leading contributor to NIST's process to standardise post-quantum cryptography, which concludes this summer
• The company is experiencing high commercial demand for implementations of its quantum-proof cryptography
• PQShield has signed an MoU with Tata Consultancy Services to support their clients in the transition to quantum-proof security
• PQShield has also entered into a collaboration with eShard on advanced side-channel protection for critical systems

LONDON, May 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PQShield today announces a series of deals that reflect growing commercial demand for the real-world implementation of post-quantum cryptography (PQC). The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading IT Services, consulting, and business solutions organization, to help clients transition to quantum-secure solutions and a collaboration with eShard, a side-channel analysis and testing tools provider, to further accelerate advanced side-channel secured implementations of PQC that are critical for high-security standards across industries.

Commercial demand for quantum preparedness is surging following a series of developments that have put the issue high on the global cybersecurity agenda. The US, which serves as a global bellwether for cybersecurity policy, enacted the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act 2022 and provided additional guidance through the National Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (NCCoE) in early 2023 - both are designed to help organisations understand the security architecture in their networks and secure them against quantum-enabled cybersecurity threats.

Elsewhere, the UK government launched its landmark National Quantum Strategy in early 2023, as did Australia, while Germany outlined a national action plan for quantum computing. Late last year, the NSA issued specific guidance on the transition to post-quantum cryptography, mandating a transition for software by 2025.

PQShield recently launched its 'Where is your Cryptography?' whitepaper in conjunction with Robert Hannigan, Cybersecurity Adviser and former Director of GCHQ (who established the UK National Cyber Security Centre), to support organisations transition to post-quantum cryptography.

Today, the company announces the following agreements and partnerships, which all point to growing commercial demand for post-quantum cryptographic solutions and further advance its cryptographic IP.

In consulting, PQShield has signed an MoU with Tata Consultancy Services. Consultancies and systems integrators like TCS will be crucial to the global cryptography migration process. PQShield's world-leading expertise and products will be used to support TCS' clients who are working to modernise their cryptographic infrastructure and migrate to post-quantum cryptography. By partnering with TCS, businesses will be able to streamline their crypto modernisation efforts, minimise risks, and safeguard their businesses comprehensively.

In side-channel analysis, eShard, a leading provider of side-channel analysis and testing tools, entered a partnership to enable enhanced side-channel analysis and validation of PQShield's secure hardware IP, especially for critical applications. This extends PQShield's existing work to deliver trusted and highly-secure implementations of quantum-safe cryptography on chips, in applications and in the cloud, having already built a dedicated side-channel attack test lab with partner, Riscure.

In the last few months, the company has consolidated its position as the only established provider of post-quantum solutions at all stages of the post-quantum cryptography journey and launched a new, commercial licensing model to offer end-users, consultants and SIs comprehensive and flexible design, sales and manufacturing rights to its cryptographic IP, to cater for a variety of use-cases.

PQShield also continues to play a vital role in policymaking discussions and standard-setting projects, as well as supporting the wider global migration to post-quantum cryptography:

In telecoms, PQShield advised on the GSMA’s Post Quantum Telco Impact Assessment White Paper, which recommends that network operators begin deploying post-quantum cryptography as soon as algorithms are standardised by NIST. 

In the migration to quantum-resistant cryptography, PQShield recently entered a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the NCCoE, the cybersecurity division of NIST, to develop practices to ease the migration to post-quantum cryptography from current public-key algorithms.

In other policymaking and standard-setting discussions, PQShield also contributed to and led post-quantum cryptography projects with RISC-V, the Internet Engineering Task Force, GlobalPlatform, and the World Economic Forum, amongst others. 

PQShield is a leading contributor to the NIST process to standardise post-quantum cryptography that concludes this summer, and advised on or contributed to all of the algorithms announced in the first group of winners in July 2022.

PQShield's CEO & founder, Ali El Kaafarani, said: "Quantum computers pose a particular threat to large organisations given the sprawling nature of their cryptographic infrastructure and their reliance on secure communications. We're seeing a significant shift in the commercial landscape as more of these businesses wake up to the urgency of the problem and seek out a solution.

"We are encouraged that businesses like TCS are helping their clients to modernise their cryptography, as more businesses move beyond crypto-discovery to real-world implementation of post-quantum cryptographic solutions."

Santha Subramoni, head of cybersecurity practice, TCS, said: "As a strategic partner to some of the world's leading businesses on their digital transformation journeys, we work with our customers to not only protect them from today's threats, but also prepare them for the challenges of tomorrow. The quantum cybersecurity threat poses foundational risks to how we secure information on the internet today, and we're working with our customers to develop a strategy and roadmap for quantum-proof security. We're glad to partner with PQShield in this journey of helping enterprises be cyber confident in the quantum era."

Robert Hannigan, Cybersecurity Adviser and former Director of GCHQ, said: "Quantum computing will render our current encryption methods obsolete. A practical approach to assessing business risk, especially within critical security infrastructure and networks, followed by a pathway to mitigating the quantum threat focused on real-world implementations of post-quantum cryptography, is now urgently needed.

PQShield have helped shape post-quantum cryptography standards globally, leaning on their academic pedigree and real-world commercial experience. The team's authoritative expertise and resources like this paper will be invaluable for any organisation seeking to prepare for our post-quantum future."

About PQShield
PQShield is a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) company creating the global standards and core technologies to power the future security layer of the world's leading organisations. Its quantum-secure cryptographic solutions work with companies' legacy systems to protect sensitive data now and for years to come.

It is the only cybersecurity company that can deliver high-quality secure implementations of quantum-safe cryptography on chips, in applications, and in the cloud, and is also an authority on PQC side channel attack resistance, having built a dedicated SCA test lab with partner, Riscure.

PQShield is also a leading contributor to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) post-quantum cryptography standardisation project, and has contributed multiple cryptographic extensions to RISC-V.

Headquartered in the UK, with teams in the United States, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Japan, PQShield is principally backed by Addition, Crane Venture Partners, Oxford Science Enterprises (formerly OSI), Kindred Capital, and InnovateUK. Its latest white papers are available to read here.

About Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organisation that has been partnering with many of the world's largest businesses in their transformation journeys for over 55 years. Its consulting-led, cognitive powered, portfolio of business, technology and engineering services and solutions is delivered through its unique Location Independent Agile™ delivery model, recognized as a benchmark of excellence in software development.

TCS Cybersecurity offers a comprehensive portfolio of cybersecurity services including consulting and advisory, security-as-a-service, industry-nuanced solutions, and managed security services across areas including detection and response, identity and access management, vulnerability management, governance, risk and compliance, data privacy and protection, digital forensics and incident response, cloud security, data security, and IT/OT security services.

About eShard
eShard is a leading provider of side channel analysis and testing tools, with a focus on ensuring the security of embedded systems. Founded in 2015, eShard has worked with a wide range of customers in industries ranging from automotive to defense. Learn more at www.eshard.com

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SOURCE PQShield