Quantum Computing News

Patero and Carahsoft Collaborate to Equip Federal Agencies to Counter Quantum Threats

Patero Inc. and Carahsoft

To meet the pressing security requirements brought on by the development of quantum computing, Carahsoft Technology Corp., recognized as a major U.S. government IT solutions provider and the Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, has announced a major partnership with Patero Inc., a pioneer in cryptographic inventory and post-quantum encryption.

As part of this new arrangement, Carahsoft will distribute PanoQoR, Patero’s cryptographic inventory and risk assessment solution, to the Public Sector as Patero’s Master Government Aggregator. The purpose of this partnership is to provide a streamlined route for critical infrastructure, defense agencies, and federal agencies to meet mandated deadlines for Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) transition.

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The Operational Shift to Post-Quantum Cryptography

The operational fact that quantum computing will revolutionize cybersecurity is what makes this collaboration necessary. Because they could decipher the asymmetric encryption now employed by governments and non-governmental organizations around the world, sufficiently powerful quantum computers represent an existential threat. Government rules in the United States and Canada that force agencies to inventory cryptographic equipment susceptible to these quantum assaults are driving this change.

The danger of “harvest-now, decrypt-later” (HNDL) operations, in which encrypted data shielded by conventional methods is deliberately collected now to create an imperceptible breach window for eventual decoding by future quantum computers, is a significant worry. U.S. authorities need to reduce this risk.

In order to combat quantum risk, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released Memorandum M-23-02 after the White House released National Security Memorandum 10 in May 2022. Agencies must provide an annual prioritized inventory of assets and information systems that contain quantum-attack-prone cryptographic systems in accordance with M-23-02.

In accordance with the NSA’s CNSA 2.0 guidance, agencies are required to submit PQC transition plans under OMB M-23-02 and finish high-priority migrations by 2030. Additionally, Canadian departments must complete essential transitions by 2031, submit initial PQC migration plans by April 2026, and attain full PQC compliance by 2035.

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PanoQoR: Capabilities for Quantum Readiness

With strengths in three key areas for Public Sector organizations, Patero’s PanoQoR platform is essential for tackling the current bottleneck in cryptography discovery and compliance:

• Cryptographic Discovery & Inventory: Clients are able to locate every instance of classical encryption in a variety of organizational settings, such as cloud ecosystems, IT, and OT (Operational Technology). To begin the process of moving away from outdated encryption techniques, this inventory must be established.

• Quantum Risk Scoring & Prioritization: Prioritizing actions according to regulatory deadlines and evaluating an organization’s unique exposure to HNDL risks are made possible by quantum risk scoring and prioritization.

• Compliance Reporting & Continuous Monitoring: Using the platform, agencies can create auditable proof of their progress towards important benchmarks, like those outlined in OMB M-23-02 and CNSA 2.0 criteria.

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Scaling Critical Capabilities Across the Public Sector

Known for assisting public sector organizations in the fields of education, healthcare, state and local government, and the federal government, Carahsoft now offers PanoQoR to its wide network. Through its reseller partners and significant contracts, Carahsoft, Patero’s Master Government Aggregator, makes the quantum computing solution accessible to the public sector.

Information Technology Enterprise Solutions Software 2 (ITES-SW2 Contract W52P1J-20-D-0042), National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) ValuePoint Master Agreement #AR2472, NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V (NNG15SC03B and NNG15SC27B), and OMNIA Partners Contract #R240303 are among these contracts.

The significance of foundational readiness was underlined by Peter Bentley, Chief Operating Officer at Patero: “Agencies must know what encryption they have today before they can protect what matters tomorrow.” Because of their unparalleled Public Sector network, Bentley referred to Carahsoft as the perfect partner to scale this crucial capacity across the United States and Canada.

This proactive approach was reaffirmed by Troy Meraw, Quantum Solutions Program Manager at Carahsoft: “Carahsoft and reseller partners are enabling security leaders to take proactive steps now to meet mandates by bringing Patero’s cryptographic inventory and PQC remediation tools to Government and enterprise customers.”

Patero is an expert in quantum secure communications and is housed in the Quantum Startup Foundry at the University of Maryland, College Park. Their PanoQoR technology prioritizes vulnerability mitigation against current and future cryptographic assaults while quantifying risk. The business specializes in crypto-agile post-quantum security solutions that combine traditional encryption with NIST-standardized quantum-resistant encryption algorithms to reduce vulnerabilities and shield data-in-motion from direct decryption assaults in the future, as well as steal-now and decrypt-later attacks.

Carahsoft’s capacity to provide its extensive client base with specialized technology solutions, including cybersecurity, multicloud, dev-ops, and artificial intelligence, is in line with Patero’s experience the partnership’s start.

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