In the last two years we have seen a continuous upward trend in the number of cybersecurity breaches, with the record high being broken month-over-month. It is about time companies need to improve their cybersecurity defenses. The number one thing they need to be aware of is that the current encryption that protects their data is NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

In 2021, approximately 281.5 million people have been affected by a data breach.  More than 60% of the U.S. information security professionals said ransomware is as serious as terrorism. According to IBM, the average cost of a data breach is over $4 million and Mimecast estimates the average ransomware demand against US companies is over $6 million.  Even more alarming, Cybersecurity Ventures expects global cybercrime cost to reach $10.5 trillion USD annually by 2025.

It has been proven in the last two years that it’s a child’s play to phish individual’s private data; and no magic to breach the cybersecurity defenses of a multimillion-dollar company. This will get even more disastrous with quantum advancements headed our way.  Nation states and tech giants are already spending millions on quantum advancements. For example, on August 26th 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) budgeted $625 million for quantum advancements. In 2021, Honeywell Quantum Solutions and Cambridge Quantum achieved a quantum volume of 1,024 and demonstrated real-time error correction that enables quantum machines to do more significant calculations with fewer qubits. And most recently in 2022, research led by the University of New South Wales, Sydney has proven that a near error-free quantum computing is possible, paving the way for large silicon-based quantum processors for real-world manufacturing and application.

Q-day, the day when quantum computers render all current encryption meaningless will soon be here, and may have even arrived already. Quantum threats are very real and we must become quantum-safe now in order to beat Q-day.

Government agencies across the globe are scrambling to find the best quantum-safe methodology. Among them the highly regarded NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) in the US is still two years away from announcing their “preferred method”.  It will be a big mistake to leave our data at risk of quantum threats now and wait for two more years.   Fortunately, a group of crypto-scientists have pioneered the development of IronCAP™ starting several years ago.  It’s a patent-protected quantum-safe encryption technology based on Goppa code-based system – 1 of the 5 favorable post-quantum cryptographic approaches recommended by NIST at this time.  IronCAP^TM is readily available for people to deploy on their classical computers today. It can be integrated with all kinds of vertical solutions such as email/file encryption, remote access/VPN, cloud storage, 5G/IoT, blockchains, financial transactions, etc., and safeguard you from cyber threats today and in the soon to arrive quantum computing era.

Learn more: www.ironcap.ca

References:
University of New South Wales research
Honeywell

Cybersecurity is critical to an organization’s digital health and resilience.  A vast majority of organizations around the globe rely heavily on digital technologies to function daily.  Consciously or unconsciously, we allow our data to be digitized and stored.  We are sharing all kinds of data online, be it a friendly invite, financial data or corporate contracts.  01 Communique has taken another step forward, partnering with Thales, a trusted global technology leader to provide quantum-safe cryptographic solutions to help businesses and government agencies achieve cyber resilience.  IronCAP™ will work closely with Thales to integrate and ensure compatibility with Thales’ Luna HSM solutions as well as joint-marketing the solutions.  For more information about the partnership:

https://cpl.thalesgroup.com/partners/01-communique-laboratory-inc

Research suggests in 2021, approximately 281.5 million people have been affected by a data breach and there were 160 million victims in the third quarter alone compared to 121 million victims in the first and second quarters.  That’s not all.  60% of the U.S. information security professionals say ransomware is as serious as terrorism.  According to Cybersecurity Ventures, by the end of 2021, it was estimated that an organization will be hit with a ransomware attack in every 11 seconds.  Every 11 seconds…that’s something to really think about.

Whether you are a cybersecurity geek or not, you likely have heard about the various quantum advancements in 2020 and 2021.  The rapid acceleration of quantum computing advancements threaten our current encryption algorithms. It’s a known fact that early-stage quantum computers are here and readily available for anybody to use. You read that right!  Back in 2019, IBM had already unveiled their first commercial quantum computer. In 2021 IBM delivered its 127 qubit Eagle processor, and declared that by 2023 it would be able to deliver a “quantum advantage.” Even Amazon offered their quantum computers for the public to use via their cloud service BRAKET.  In the summer of 2020, Honeywell announced that their quantum computers were superior to IBM’s and Google’s.  They also claimed they would increase their quantum volume 10X each year, and are sure trying to deliver. In 2021 Honeywell Quantum Solutions and Cambridge Quantum achieved a quantum volume of 1,024 and demonstrated real-time error correction, to a breakthrough algorithm that enables quantum machines to do more significant calculations with fewer qubits. It’s evident that the global quantum computing race has begun some time ago already and is advancing rapidly.

Unlike hardware, data cannot be replaced when encryption goes obsolete.  Data lives on for years, if not for decades.  As such we cannot simply address encryption algorithm obsolescence overnight. Asif Qayyum, Managing Director, Digital Security Risk & Controls at PwC Canada said that the industry is aware Q-Day is arriving if not already arrived. We need to prepare now because once the adversarial players crack the current encryption, it will be catastrophic. Here is a link to his full video: https://youtu.be/EdpRwnx5a58

This is why we’ve built IronCAP™, the solution to combat this threat.  IronCAP™ is the first-to-market a quantum-safe encryption solution, that is proven secure and readily available today.  And together with Thales we are confident we can reach a wider audience of businesses, organizations and government agencies, providing them with quantum-safe solutions that can help them to achieve cyber resilience.

Becoming quantum-safe 1-year-too-early or 1-year-too-late is everything.  Join top cybersecurity professionals to become quantum-safe with IronCAP™ and Thales today.

The simple answer is YES. The encryption algorithms we use today will take conventional computers hundreds of years to break.  With the much more powerful quantum computer, they can be broken within a few seconds. Quantum computing will render current encryption useless.  This can happen anytime and for all we know it may have already happened on a national level!  Think about this.  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on August 26^th 2020 that they would spend $625 million on quantum advancements.  They have also awarded $115 million to Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA), a new research center, to pioneer the development of quantum technologies for discovery science.  In 2021 Honeywell Quantum Solutions and Cambridge Quantum achieved a quantum volume of 1,024 and demonstrated real-time error correction, to a breakthrough algorithm that enables quantum machines to do more significant calculations with fewer qubits. The above-mentioned companies and government agencies are not the only ones.  There are several others pumping millions of dollars into the R&D of quantum computing.  It’s evident that the global quantum computing race has begun some time ago already and is advancing rapidly.

So, is your data safe?  Can your current encryption safeguard against quantum threats?  The answer is an obvious NO.  And here comes the SOLUTION – IronCAP™’s quantum-safe cryptography can provide that ultimate layer of protection to your data.

IronCAP™ is the SOLUTION for 3 main reasons:

1. Its quantum-safe cryptography is designed to operate on current computers to protect against cyber threats from not only today’s computers but also tomorrow’s quantum computers
2. Its breakthrough technology is patent protected and industry endorsed
3. Its cryptography has been put to test in 2 global hackathons and proved unscathed

Industry leaders need to start migrating towards quantum-safe encryption now.  Cryptographic algorithm transitions take time and involve massive coordination effort across many stakeholders in different industries. By preparing now and adopting post-quantum cryptography solutions like IronCAP™ can ensure a more orderly, less costly, and modestly disruptive changeover.

IronCAP™‘s quantum-safe solution is readily available today. To learn more, visit www.ironcap.ca.

References:
DOE $115 million award for quantum lab.
DOE $625 million investment in quantum.

According to a new research by Venafi, nearly 60% of security professionals believe that the threat of ransomware should be treated with the same urgency as terrorism.  A survey among 1500 IT security decision-makers from around the globe revealed the growing concerns about the scale and damage of ransomware attacks, which have surged during the COVID-19 crisis.

As per Infosecurity Magazine, 67% respondents from organizations with over 500 employees experienced a ransomware attack over the past 12 months.  For organizations with 3000-4999 employees, that figure rose to an astonishing 80%.  Let’s not forget the ransom demands are a very small fraction of the total damage – business shut downs, loss of invaluable data, the PR costs and reputational damage can be up to 100X the ransom price tag.

Current ransomware protection tools are a band aid.  Education on email security best practices are useful BUT only comprehensive end-to-end encryption and digital signatures will protect your data against phishing.  This new year let’s join forces to put an end to phishing scams.  With IronCAP X™, you can send end-to-end encrypted emails without it being stored on a third-party server along the route.  AND you can digitally sign the email so your recipients can easily distinguish a legit email from an impersonated one.  PLUS IronCAP X™ is quantum-safe so it protects your sensitive data now and in the fast approaching quantum future.  So why wait?

Free yourself from phishers.  Get IronCAP X™ FREE for personal use or learn about our business options at www.ironcap.ca.

References:

Joseph Steinberg
Infosecurity Magazine

On October 21, 2021, the Global Encryption Coalition (GEC) will hold the first annual Global Encryption Day.  This event is organized to tell governments around the world that protecting and strengthening encryption is crucial to making the internet safer for everyone.  At IronCAP™, we couldn’t agree more. True end-to-end data encryption is critical for a safe cyberspace.

Despite increased investments in cybersecurity, most organizations and government agencies are lacking the tools to fight phishing and ransomware. And most of them will only upgrade their security measures AFTER suffering from a ransomware attack instead of before.

On October 17, 2021, The US Treasury ‘s Financial Crimes Enforcement reported, “…ransomware related transactions totaled around $590 million from January 2021 to June 2021.” Furthermore, Proofpoint reported that 57% of organizations had experienced a successful phishing attack in 2020. That is an increase of more than 50% in just one year!  Ransomware attack is ranked as the top crime contributing to 44% of all business losses.  And cybercrime magazines also reported that a ransomware attack is expected on a business every 11 seconds by the end of 2021.

Current ransomware solutions based on such as zero trust, employees’ best practices, anti-virus software and AI threat detection may help.  However judging from the ransomware stats it is obvious that these are either not being applied properly or they don’t work.  It would be a huge stretch of the imagination to think that education alone is going to stop phishing. Moreover COVID has added massive numbers of remote workers to the complexity of managing the security of remote systems.  Employees’ best practices can improve the situation a bit but they are not a serious antidote to phishing.

Over the past 5 years our world-renowned team of crypto scientists have worked very hard to develop an antidote to phishing.  IronCAP X™  is the most innovative end-to-end email encryption system to cut off phishing at the root.  Its quantum-safe, true end-to-end encryption with digital signatures will eliminate phishing not just today but in the quantum future too. Organizations need to realize that their current security measures are not working.  They must implement true end-to-end email/file encryption to deal with phishing at the root.

On Global Encryption Day, the Global Encryption Coalition wants people from all over the world to make the switch to end-to-end encrypted platforms.  Let IronCAP™ help you.  To find out more, please visit www.ironcap.ca.

References:

Cybersecurity vs Cyber Resilience
The Verge – US Treasury report
Global Encryption Day

Cryptographic technologies are utilized by all industries and government bodies to verify the source and protect the data that they store. With the rapid advancement in quantum computing, we should be aware that our widely deployed cryptographic algorithms that are used to protect our data privacy and communications today will be threatened.  It’s anticipated that a quantum hack is around the corner if not here already.  Business leaders and government officials need to understand the risks and damages associated with quantum hacks and act NOW!  Cryptographic algorithm transitions take time and involve massive coordination effort across many stakeholders in different industries. By preparing now and adopting post-quantum cryptography solutions like IronCAP™ can ensure a more orderly, less costly, and modestly disruptive changeover.

IronCAP™ is designed to operate on conventional computers.  It is built on the longest time-tested Goppa code-based theory recognized by the world of post-quantum cryptography study field.  By introducing sophisticated linear codes and error syndromes into your data, our cryptography confuses even quantum computers and prevents any of your information from being compromised.  Hence IronCAP™ can safeguard against cyberattacks from today’s classical computers as well as quantum computers.

IronCAP™’s post-quantum cryptography can be used in all kinds of vertical solutions such as digital identity, email/file encryption, remote access/VPN, cloud storage, 5G/IoT, blockchains, financial transactions, etc. The IronCAP™ API is compliant with the PKCS#11 and OpenPGP (RFC4880) industry standards, allowing vendors to transform their applications or systems seamlessly to quantum-safe.

Protect your data in motion, at rest and in use with IronCAP™ today and in the quantum computing era.  To learn more, visit www.ironcap.ca.

It’s a known fact that quantum computers are here and readily available for anybody to use. You read that right!  Back in 2019, IBM had already unveiled their first commercial quantum computer.  In the same year, Google claimed quantum supremacy, and even Amazon offered their quantum computers for the public to use via their cloud service BRAKET.  In the summer of 2020, Honeywell announced that their quantum computers were superior to IBM’s and Google’s.  They also claimed they would increase their quantum volume 10X each year.  In December 2020, China’s University of Science and Technology announced their version of quantum computers claiming a million times faster than IBM’s and Google’s.  It’s evident that the global quantum computing race has begun some time ago already.

All of the above is just information available to the open world.  We have no idea what the closed world (i.e. national level) entails. Every day we hear news on cyberattacks at companies or government agencies that seemed unreachable before.  A quantum hack could have very well arrived quietly.  What do you think about the SolarWinds hack? The ransomware attack on the US JBS meat processing company and the Colonial Pipeline? The list goes on. Still got doubts? Here are what industry experts said at our latest quantum-safe readiness webinar.

Florin A. F., Director of CGI Innovation Center Montreal said, “…We think quantum computing is in the future and is a future risk. The reality is that every and each document that is stored today somewhere on a system for a financial institution is actually a potential document that is under attack…”

Asif Qayyum, Managing Director, Digital Security Risk & Controls at PwC Canada said, “…However one thing is for sure that everyone is realizing that the Q-day might have already occurred …..and because a breach that could have happened or a database which is encrypted but lying somewhere there, as soon as that readiness or availability of technology comes into the hand of these adversarial players that is going to explode multi-fold…”

These are just a little excerpt from the valuable insight these leaders provided at the webinar. You can watch the complete webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy0el3lCosU

It’s believed that quantum hacking is approaching fast. This will render all the current encryptions vulnerable and hence make internet data, banking transactions, emails and etc. defenseless. We CANNOT emphasize enough on the urgency to upgrade the entire digital world to become quantum-safe.

Let’s not forget the ransom demands are a very small fraction of the total damage caused by these cyberattacks. Business shut downs, loss of invaluable data, the PR costs and credibility damage can be hundred times more than the ransom price tag.  And IronCAP^TM, the world’s first commercially available quantum-safe encryption solution can safeguard you from cyberattacks today and in the quantum future.  Don’t let quantum hacks become the cyber Pearl Harbor.  All business leaders and government officials should act now.  To learn more, visit www.ironcap.ca.

Cyber extortions are crippling critical infrastructures, healthcare systems, government agencies and businesses around the world. In 2021 alone we saw some large-scale scum hacks and ransomware attacks. In early May Colonial Pipeline paid $5 million to the DarkSide ransomware gang and in June, the meat processor JBS paid $11 million to the Russia-based REvil gang. Hackers are using simple phishing tools, making you believe it is a legitimate email, to gain access to your sensitive information.

Top US officials have recently ranked ransomware attack as a national security threat. According to The New York Times, President Biden put this issue at the top of his agenda for his June meeting with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, and had given him forceful warnings for his inaction against those ransomware operators tied to Russia.  President Biden had also requested his lawmakers to work on several bills that would, among other things, require a wide range of companies including critical infrastructure operators to report attacks to the government.

The F.B.I. Internet Crime Report for 2020 listed 2,474 cyberattacks in the United States, with losses totaling more than $29.1 million. The reality is probably of a much greater magnitude. The German data-crunching firm Statista has estimated that there were 304 million cyberattacks worldwide in 2020, a 62% increase over 2019.

It’s clear that the ransomware attack problem cannot be practically solved by employee training, zero trust practices or installing antivirus software and other patches. Current ransomware prevention solutions are just like a band aid. Education may help a little bit. Only an email tool like IronCAP X^TM with comprehensive, quantum-safe end-to-end encryption and digital signatures will protect you against phishing today and in the fast approaching quantum computing era.  IronCAP X^TM is your “shovel ready”, low-cost solution that can fully protect your data a 100% of the time.

Reference:
New York Times

Disruptive ransomware attacks are on the rise.  Just in the last few months, we witnessed the LinkedIn data breach, the JBS attack, the SolarWinds hack, the Kaseya ransomware attack and many more.  It is evident that making cybersecurity front and center is critical. Industry experts are expecting the global cybersecurity market to surpass USD $400 billion in 2028.  All these signal that not only business leaders but ordinary people using the internet should not wait for a bad incident to occur before making a move.

In June 2021, LinkedIn data was compromised. The records of 700 million clients are now for sale on the dark web. This happened in the blink of an eye but what is worse is the ripple effect for users that used important passwords for LinkedIn.  Even if their passwords were not breached, there is still valuable data that can be used for identity theft and phishing attempts.  Hackers are constantly phishing for data, sending out millions of fake security alerts and bank alerts email everyday. If they can provide some “legitimate” information (from the breached data) on their phishing email, they will look more convincing and recipients are more prompted to click on the malicious links.

Think about this – LinkedIn, JBS, Colonial Pipeline and all other multi-billion-dollar corporations have unlimited resources to safeguard their data but still got hacked, what are the chances that smaller companies can secure their data?  The answer is, you have good chances if you secure you email communications.

Most ransomware attacks come from phishing emails.  You click on just one malicious link and you risk having your private information breached, email message content and attachment being intercepted and altered, and suffering financial and creditability damages.  Therefore, you should secure your emails today. IronCAP X™ is THE SOLUTION TO STOP PHISHING!

IronCAP X™ is easy to install, a is user-friendly and a cost-effective solution. Its quantum safe, end-to-end email encryption eliminates the intermediary server, and its digital signature feature authenticates a legitimate sender from a malicious one. IronCAP X™ will be your armor to eliminate ransomware attacks.  An ounce of prevention (IronCAP X™) is worth a pound of cure (data loss). The choice is yours!

We cannot change how the world runs but we can adapt to the new environments and protect ourselves with the best available.  To find out more about how IronCAP X™ can help you to eliminate phishing attacks, visit https://www.ironcap.ca/ironcap-x/

References:

The Financial Star

This year alone we saw two major cyber-attacks in the United States of America – the SolarWinds hack and the Colonial Pipeline ransomware cyber-attack. They have shown us a mirror on how vulnerable other countries are to similar attacks. Government bodies and infrastructure have not been the only targets – the healthcare sectors, finance industries, educational institutions, travelling industries, cybersecurity providers, and the list goes on.  Everyone has witnessed or even suffered from a massive cyber-attack in the past one year.

These cyber-attacks have shown clearly that we MUST upgrade our cybersecurity measures. The world is not equipped to handle cyber-attacks today.  It is unimaginable what can happen with the arrival of quantum threats.

According to The Wall Street Journal, recent ransomware attack victims, Colonial Pipeline and the chemical distribution firm Brenntag had both paid the equivalent of $4.4 million ransoms, while the JBS meat processing company had paid $11 million to end the cyber attack.  After Colonial Pipeline’s payment was announced, their CEO Joseph Blount said, “I didn’t make it lightly.  I will admit that I wasn’t comfortable seeing money go out the door to people like this. But it was the right thing to do for the country.”

A survey conducted by the security firm Kaspersky suggested more than half of the ransomware victims in 2021 paid up to regain access to their own information.  This has not just caused monetary loss but also credibility loss.

It is imperative that all business and government leaders should act NOW.  It is far cheaper to upgrade your security measures with IronCAP™ than paying a hefty ransom to hackers.  IronCAP™’s patent-pending post-quantum cryptography is designed to be integrated with all kinds of vertical solutions such as email/file encryption, remote access/VPN, cloud storage, 5G/IoT, blockchains, financial transactions, etc.  Based on the “un-crackable” 50-year Goppa code-based theory, proven “un-hackable” in global hackathons (2019-2021) and endorsed by numerous industry experts, IronCAP^TM can safeguard you from cyber threats today and in the quantum computing era.

To learn more, please visit www.ironcap.ca

References:
WSJ article