Asymmetric cryptography is vital to modern digital security, serving as the foundation for Public Key Infrastructure and allowing for the creation of secure digital identities. That becomes a concern once quantum computers are able break those algorithms, which is expected to happen in the next twenty years.

That’s why IDEMIA has released new smart cards that will be resistant to the decryption efforts of next generation quantum computers. The new smart cards are designed to be futureproof, insofar as they combine a secure element like a PIN or a biometric scan with a post-quantum algorithm to create an unforgeable digital signature.

“IDEMIA is the trusted partner to help national security agencies, governments, and also the private sector to continuously guarantee security”, said Jean-Christophe Fondeur, IDEMIA’s Executive VP for R&D. “With this innovation, IDEMIA has proven that a post-quantum algorithm can be implemented on a smart card.”

The new smart cards are portable, confidential, and convenient, allowing documents to be signed in less than two seconds. They can also be deployed for a number of different applications, including data encryption and the authentication of people and IoT devices.

The latter will be particularly important as IDEMIA continues to explore secure IoT technology. The company has been working with Microsoft to improve eSIM functionality, and recently partnered with Capgemini to develop a new IoT device management platform.