Starting PQC Migration with the Hardware and Firmware Foundation (Q01a)
This talk examines how the quantum threat to cryptography informs a post-quantum cryptography migration strategy across products and solutions. The discussion highlights the importance of beginning migration efforts with the hardware and firmware foundation, based on practical experience in releasing a product with quantum-resistant protection.
The talk provides a framework for evaluating risks across use cases, prioritizing migration needs, and analyzing hardware-based cryptographic components. A specific example of hardware-based firmware integrity protection in PCs is presented, focusing on cryptographic and system architecture design choices that ensure resilience. Attendees will learn about the quantum threat analysis process, the characteristics of available algorithms, and how to implement hardware and firmware migrations effectively, starting with a hash-based signature algorithm to augment classical cryptography.