London, 20 September 2021: A wide range of organisations from defence to banking are preparing for ‘Y2Q’, the moment when a sufficiently developed quantum computer emerges that can break today’s encryption. As one of the most trusted cyber security suppliers to ultra-high net worth individuals, CDS Group is rolling out a quantum-safe VPN to protect its clients and their assets.

CDS currently provides cyber security services to an ever increasing number of some of the world’s largest superyachts. By deploying Post-Quantum’s Hybrid Virtual Private Network the company will ensure communications from the vessels it protects are encrypted with both traditional and new ‘quantum-safe’ encryption algorithms in a hybridised solution.

The new encryption will initially be rolled out on one of the world’s largest superyachts, to protect the vessel’s assets, as well as its 4G and satellite communication systems. With the new Hybrid VPN in place, access to sensitive areas of the ship’s network by 3^rd party/shoreside support will be restricted only to the devices or networks required.

Will Thomson, CTO, CDS commented: “Our clients are some of the world’s most influential people and they face extremely persistent and sophisticated cyber attacks. To help protect their communications and systems part of our response is to offer nation-state level encryption that protects their privacy whilst at sea and at home or office locations.”

He continued: “It’s accepted that code-breaking quantum computers will arrive over coming years and our clients are likely to be targets. Anyone exchanging information that needs to remain private should upgrade now, because emails and files can already be harvested now and decrypted later.”

A VPN uses public-key encryption to create a secure virtual tunnel within a network, ensuring that only the correct recipient can decrypt the communication (any intercepted data remains encrypted and is therefore unusable). Such software is increasingly relied upon to protect remote workers logging-on outside traditional office environments.

Andersen Cheng, CEO, Post-Quantum added: “Whether it’s a superyacht, home office or mobile worker in a coffee shop, the VPNs we rely on today are reaching end of life. The entire world needs to make the one-time switch to a hybrid approach, incorporating both traditional and new quantum-safe encryption algorithms.”

He continued: “As the only software focused  supplier in NISTs global competition to create quantum-safe algorithms, we’re in a strong position to build highly optimised real world products like VPNs that harness these new advances, ensuring trust in the digital economy.”

Post-Quantum has developed a suite of user-friendly products that help organisations take an end-to-end approach to quantum readiness, including identity, transmission and encryption. Organisations in government, financial services and critical national infrastructure are increasingly testing and deploying quantum-safe solutions.

The firm is the only remaining finalist in the ‘code-based’ category of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) competition to identify and standardise post-quantum encryption algorithms. The final algorithms selected by NIST in early 2022 will form the basis of future encryption standards that will ultimately be used to protect virtually all communications flowing over the internet.

Post-Quantum is a British deep tech pioneer focused on protecting the world’s information from the threat posed by hacking using quantum computers. Founded in 2009, the company has developed a range of quantum-safe software products focused on identity, transmission and encryption to deliver an end-to-end environment secure from quantum attack.

NTS-KEM (now known as Classic McEliece) is the company’s submission to the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography competition, which seeks to identify algorithms that will form an open source crypto standard used to protect all the world’s digital information. Classic McEliece is the only remaining finalist in the code-based category of the NIST competition, following the merger with the submission led by Professor Daniel Bernstein.

The company is the original author of the Internet Engineering Taskforce (IETF) standards for a Hybrid Post-Quantum Virtual Private Network. These standards can be used by developers to build VPNs capable of withstanding quantum attacks and the firm has also built such a VPN, which is being used in live environments today.

Over the coming years quantum computers will mature to the stage where they can break today’s encryption, rendering email, secure banking, crypto currencies and the world’s communications systems vulnerable. Therefore, all large companies, technology providers and internet standards will need to transition to quantum-safe encryption in good time to avert the most significant cyber security threat to our privacy and the digital economy.

CDS exists to provide exceptional Cyber Security and Privacy solutions to corporate entities, high net worth individuals, their assets and families. Our clients demand and deserve exemplary service in this ever-changing digital world and we will never sit still in making sure they receive it.

The senior management team bring skills honed and developed at the highest levels of UK Central Government and a wide range of industry sectors covering Education, Finance, Transport, UK Central Government and in recent years, Maritime.

The last 19 years have been spent directly involved within ‘Cyber Security’ covering security architecture design and implementation, malware attack and data leak investigations, data protection and email security. Alongside these, CDS has until recently, over a period of 15 years, provided malware and network attack analysis and investigation, intrusion detection/prevention and network defence services directly to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.