Fabric Cryptography’s Post

Today, we are thrilled to announce that 1kx have co-led a $33m Series A for Fabric Cryptography, a company dedicated towards accelerating the adoption and proliferation of advanced & programmable cryptography, including zero-knowledge (ZK) and fully homomorphic encryption (FHE). We believe that one of the major shifts in our lifetime is the migration from trusted legacy systems to systems utilizing advanced programmable cryptography. For example, ZK & FHE enable scaling and privacy unlocks for rollups, blockchains, and beyond. It is our thesis that this transformation will not only be seen in crypto, but also in industries with high costs of trust. Unfortunately, the applicability of programmable cryptography has been limited due to the cost overhead, despite rapid theoretical and engineering advances. We believe that the true potential of programmable cryptography can only be unlocked with hardware tailor-built for advanced cryptography. Fabric’s Verifiable Processing Unit (VPU) is specifically-designed for advanced cryptographic computation while architectured to be as programmable as a GPU. This means the VPU is both performant and future-proof–it pushes the industry close to real-time ZK proving while being able to adapt to new proof systems without compromising on performance. Furthermore, the opportunities for co-design between hardware, software, and research on the VPU platform is endless. We believe the next order-of-magnitude gain will come from co-designing advanced systems on the VPU platform. VPUs will transform the programmable cryptography space just like how GPUs transformed AI. We’ve been impressed by the progress that has been made by the Fabric team under the leadership of Michael Gao, Tina Ju, sagar reddy, Gilbert Hendry, and others. The VPU is poised to accelerate not only the current in-demand workloads, but also the upcoming next generation of systems. We cannot be more excited about what is in the works by Fabric and its partners. Programmable cryptography is the endgame. Fabric is accelerating the world towards it.

https://lnkd.in/e3BYys_k "According to Gao, Fabric Cryptography’s VPU is the first custom silicon chip that uses an instruction set architecture specific to cryptography, which means that any cryptographic algorithm can be broken down into its mathematical building blocks that are natively accelerated and supported by the chip."

Quantum pirates ahoy! The Y2Q continues to pose risks to public-key cryptography (PKC) algorithms, as highlighted by IBM Quantum and UC Berkeley. IBM also re-released Qiskit, after deprecating the Qiskit Quantum Lab. IBM now capitalizes on their effort and the huge community they have created. What is the future of Qiskit is not known, but it could be a good moment to shape up your skills with other frameworks. The Quantum-Safe Readiness Index (QSRI), a joint survey conducted by IBM and Oxford Economics, found global organizations scoring an average of 21 out of 100, indicating a low level of readiness for quantum-safe standards. NVIDIA's open-source NVIDIA CUDA-Q™ platform is set to accelerate quantum computing at supercomputing centers in Germany, Japan, and Poland. IQM Quantum Computers has also announced plans to construct an industrial production unit for quantum computers and chips in France.The University of Science and Technology of China has developed an artificial quantum system, the Plasmonium qubit, which simulates the fractional anomalous quantum Hall effect at normal temperatures without magnetic fields. LightSolver has developed a desktop-sized optical computer, the LPU100, that rivals the performance of quantum and classical supercomputers. EvolutionQ has launched MultimodalKES, a new cryptographic protocol designed to enhance protection against quantum cyber threats. Alice & Bob, a French quantum computing startup, developed a fault-tolerant Boson cat qubit quantum chip, now available on Google Cloud Marketplace. This chip offers an improved bit-flip time, addressing the issue of qubit decoherence. Q-CTRL is partnering with Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s College of Science and Engineering (CSE) to build Qatar's quantum workforce, while QCentroid and OpenQuantum have announced a strategic partnership to democratize access to quantum computing. Read more and share with friends here: https://lnkd.in/eSpBwe_t

Is your data truly secure? Quantum computing says otherwise. Last #quantumfridays post, we delved into what gives Quantum Algorithms their unparalleled power - the Quantum Power Trio - Superposition, Entanglement and Interference! https://lnkd.in/dWZnCpGB  This week, lets understand the impact of quantum computing on cryptography. Probably the biggest and most well-known impact quantum computing on cryptography is that they will be able to use Shor’s quantum algorithm to crack all RSA/ECC cryptography. Now, Traditional cryptography anchors on large prime numbers. They're tough to factorise, keeping your data secure. Currently, we have Euclid's algorithm which is reliable and is most commonly used in classical computing, but it is progressively slower for larger numbers. It would take a classical computer around 300 trillion years to break a RSA-2048 bit encryption key. That’s why we all currently feel that we are “safe” from these attacks. Enter Shor's algorithm! Designed by mathematician Peter Shor, it's a quantum computer's answer to factorising large numbers. A standard computer has to run through every possible factor one by one. But a quantum computer using Shor's algorithm can solve the puzzle in a fraction of the time! How? Shor's quantum algorithm uses superposition to view all factors at once. Entanglement coordinates them. Interference zooms in on the correct solution. Speedy right! This exponential speed becomes critical in its most renowned application - decrypting RSA encryption used in cryptography. Financial transactions, confidential communications, and national security measures all rely on cryptography that's suddenly vulnerable. The moment a quantum computer capable of running Shor's Algorithm becomes available, it could potentially decrypt previously secure data!! But, this disruptive force is also a catalyst for innovation, pushing us towards the next frontier in cryptographic security: quantum encryption. So, we can say that quantum algorithms like Shor's challenge their classical counterparts through unique properties of Quantum Mechanics, solving problems with unparalleled speed and expanding their application horizons. - Thank you for engaging with my attempt to make quantum computing accessible at all levels! 👉 If you found this explainer helpful, please give it a like and share. 👂 I'd love to hear your thoughts or any quantum queries you might have in the comments. 🔔 And don't forget to follow me. I share insights on azure, career growth and quantum. #quantumfridays #shors #quantumalgorithm

Quantum Computing Challenged By Security, Error Correction The number and volume of warnings about a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) world are rising, as governments, banks, and other entities prepare for a rash of compromised data and untrustworthy digital signatures. Exactly when this will become a genuine threat is still somewhat fuzzy, because it depends on progress in developing robust qubits. A report by McKinsey & Co. estimates that by 2030, about 5,000 quantum computers will be operational, but the hardware and software needed to solve complex problems may not exist until about 2035. Others say that coherency between qubits and modular architectures could speed things up. In the interim, facing a looming threat with an uncertain deadline, the security community is racing to build up defenses. If early cryptography was about symbols and substitutions, at least part of modern cryptography will be about using algorithms to fight algorithms. “Cryptographers and mathematicians have been talking about this since about 2017, which is when they first sat down and said, ‘This is bad. We need to update these algorithms,’” noted Scott Best, senior director, silicon security products at Rambus. “Terrifically, they’ve made a lot of progress.” The power of quantum computing comes from the rich physics in the quantum domain, where there is superposition, when the 0 and 1 are in the same state https://lnkd.in/gViCwy8J

Can you imagine, hardware is competing to break the software here. Quantum computing if become mainstream is set to break all the cryptography standards that are in place. And we are competing to ensure our innovation doesn't break our innovations :)

You have heard #CPUs, #GPUs and even DPUs, but have you heard about the #VPU? Fabric Cryptography, which recently completed a $33 million series A round of investment, is pioneering a brand-new processing unit for #cryptography, which it calls the verifiable processing unit (VPU). In an interview with media, CEO Michael Gao said the company will do for cryptography what #Nvidia’s GPUs and many other #startups’ #chips are doing for #AI. Gao said there is a wide range of advanced cryptographic algorithms that go beyond protecting our data and can begin to guarantee trust if they can be run efficiently. According to Gao, Fabric Cryptography’s VPU is the first custom silicon chip that uses an instruction set architecture specific to cryptography, which means that any cryptographic algorithm can be broken down into its mathematical building blocks that are natively accelerated and supported by the chip.

Quantum cryptography is a branch of quantum information science that focuses on using quantum mechanics to secure communication channels. Unlike classical cryptography, which relies on mathematical assumptions and computational complexity, quantum cryptography uses the principles of quantum mechanics to ensure the security of data transmission. The most well-known technique in quantum cryptography is Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). Here's how Quantum Key Distribution works: Quantum Key Distribution (QKD): QKD allows two parties, traditionally referred to as Alice and Bob, to establish a secret key for secure communication in the presence of a potential eavesdropper, usually referred to as Eve. Photon Transmission: In a typical QKD protocol, Alice sends a series of photons (individual particles of light) to Bob, with each photon representing a bit of the key. She randomly encodes each photon with one of four possible states (e.g., horizontal or vertical polarization). Security Verification: Alice and Bob publicly communicate which basis (i.e., measurement axis) they used for each bit without revealing the actual measurement outcomes. They compare a subset of their results to check for discrepancies caused by eavesdropping. If their comparison shows that their results are consistent, they can be confident that their key is secure. Key Distillation: Finally, Alice and Bob perform a process called key distillation, where they discard bits used for error checking and privacy amplification, resulting in a shorter but secure shared key. Quantum cryptography offers several advantages over classical cryptographic methods: Unconditional Security: Quantum cryptography offers unconditional security, meaning it is based on the laws of physics rather than computational assumptions. Any attempt by an eavesdropper to intercept the quantum communication will inevitably disturb the quantum states, alerting the legitimate parties to the presence of an intruder. Information-Theoretic Security: Quantum key distribution provides information-theoretic security, ensuring that the security of the key is based on physical principles rather than computational complexity. As a result, it is immune to attacks based on future advances in computing power or mathematical breakthroughs. Key Renewal: Since quantum keys are generated for each communication session, even if an attacker were to compromise a key, it would only affect a single session and not compromise past or future communications. While quantum cryptography holds promise for secure communication, practical challenges remain, including the limited range of quantum communication channels, the need for specialized equipment, and the vulnerability of certain implementations to side-channel attacks. Nonetheless, ongoing research and technological advancements continue to expand the potential applications of quantum cryptography in secure communication protocols. #quantummechanics #quantumcryptography

It finally happened... 🔮 ...Post Quantum Cryptography conference in Tallinn, hosted by Cybernetica but together with speakers from CHESS Cyber-Security Excellence Hub, Estonian Academy of Sciences, Riigi Infosüsteemi Amet // Estonian Information System Authority (NCSC-EE) funded by EU. Some highlights from that event: 1. PQC internet - Arne Ansper gave a really good (and simplified talk, that Arne masters really well!) overview of different security protocols and their possible transition to PQC algorithms. See details in comment, how and with what the IETF is progressing. 2. PQC engineering - Petr M. talked about PQC early adoption engineering challenges. As currently there is so much unclarity about what libraries together with PQC algorithms will be available in what applications, and what devices, it is kind of "Wild West" and therefore a lot of creative approach is needed. PS. I would also add here information from my side, about different applications, libraries and hardware supporting/not supporting PQC at the moment, done by open community PKI Consortium (see under comment). 3. Science and practice with PQC - Peeter Laud gave hope that in threshold cryptography there will be a milestone soon enough so that technology like SplitKey which is used in Smart-ID, can be transited to use PQC. 4. Is it all worth it and when? - Jan Willemson delivered a view that we should still keep in mind "order of doing things" when moving towards PQC. Asset inventory is important to know what is reasonable to move to PQC. Also on topic, how much it would cost to maintain a quantum computer and to target traditional (ECDSA, RSA) signature to break it - a lot! Also, for me it was a pleasure to meet in person in the coffee corner people like Dan Bogdanov and Petr M.. And together with some "old" colleagues and familiar faces :) 💣 I will leave it here: New generation cryptography algorithms are here to stay, this is for sure! And doing science keeps humanity progressive and minds bright. But I still like to leave here the "loaded idea" - maybe, we can not never ever build a quantum computer to do useful computations as maintaining coherence in a Qubits is just..against the known laws of physics? And we would need a huge freezer to operate at temperatures around 10 millikelvins (mK) to 20 millikelvins (mK) ❄ (ps. do not get me wrong - secretly, I still am the guy who loves to think of the idea, humanoid robots on streets, replaceable body parts for humans, AI and quantum computers 😝 ) 📸picture from personal collection