Cyber security controls in Information Technology (IT) systems and Naval Control Systems (NCS) involve the utilization of cryptographic tools such as encryption, authentication, hashing, digital signatures, and certificate authorities with chains of trust. These tools are the foundation behind higher level concepts such as getting software patches from valid sources and ensuring communications between systems is secure. They are used in everything from online banking and shopping to securing our nation's critical infrastructure. The most common algorithms used are based on two NP-hard math problems: factoring large primes and the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem. These math problems are computational infeasible to solve using classical computing and today's technologies, however using a quantum computer these problems can be solved in polynomial time. Thus an adversary with access to a sufficiently large enough quantum computer would be capable of significant damage to our nation's critical infrastructure. This paper provides a high level overview of how quantum computers work including information on the Quantum Fourier Transform and its use in solving the period finding problem, which is used in Shor's Algorithm to break cryptosystems. Cryptosystems are then introduced which are immune to attacks via a quantum computer, with the pros and cons discussed. The paper concludes with recommendations on short, mid, and long term changes required to the Navy's afloat and ashore cryptosystem infrastructure. These recommendations take into account current advancements in quantum computing development along with practical limitations in classical and hardware computing power. PLC; HM1; ICS; multicast; authentication; cybersecurity.
展开▼
