Dell brings post-quantum cryptography to the PC's root of trust

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Dell is protecting the very first code that runs when a computer starts. SiliconANGLE, reporting on an interview at the AI Cybersecurity and Resilience Summit, says Dell has started using post-quantum cryptography in the hardware root of trust of its business PCs

Rick Martinez, a Dell fellow and vice president of client solutions, warned about a threat he called trust now, forge later. Beyond decrypting stolen data, a future quantum computer could forge the digital signatures that prove firmware is authentic, meaning malicious firmware could pass the same checks as Dell's own

To counter that, Dell Pro PCs now use a post-quantum algorithm in the embedded controller, the first component that fetches code when the machine starts. Dell has also moved its off host BIOS verification to quantum resistant hashing

Judy Furlong, a senior distinguished engineer at Dell, said cryptography sits at every layer of storage systems, from hardware and software to identity and intrusion detection tools. She said that migration will take several releases and depends on suppliers delivering components that support post-quantum cryptography

The segment was sponsored by Dell and gives no specific algorithms or deadlines, so it is light on detail. The underlying point is important, though. Firmware signatures are a quieter post-quantum risk than encrypted data, but forged firmware could be far more damaging

Is forged firmware a bigger quantum risk than stolen data? And how quickly should hardware makers move to post-quantum signatures?

Post-quantum cryptography: Dell secures the root of trust - SiliconANGLEsiliconangle.com