SandboxAQ Launches Open-Source Post-Quantum Cryptography API

Encryption, a technique existing under the umbrella term cryptography that ensures data is only accessible to those who have decryption keys to protect sensitive information, has become a method used for extra assurance against cyberattacks, which have become increasingly prevalent in this modern, digital age.

However, advancements in quantum computing have exposed vulnerabilities in classical encryption, leading to the development of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms. Despite its major importance and advanced ability in providing data security, PQC algorithms can be difficult to scale, either due to software incompatibility, increased key sizes, or its intensive computational process, which requires more processing power, memory, skill, and cost.

Quantum and AI SaaS company SandboxAQ, founded by Jack Hidary, aims to make PQC implementations simpler with its open-source meta-library of cryptographic algorithms API named “Sandwich,” allowing developers to manage their cryptography processes without complicated rewrites.

Protection Against Cyber Attacks

SandboxAQ dedicates its AI-powered resources to building software that solves issues impacting society, one of them being cyber attacks against businesses and organizations. With how pervasive cyber attacks such as ransomware, phishing, or malware have become, SandboxAQ believes a significant step should be taken to protect one’s sensitive data, one way by adopting crypto-agility.

Crypto-agility allows one to switch and adapt from primitive cryptographic algorithms to post-quantum cryptography without having to dismantle their system’s infrastructure. To dismantle means to expose businesses to vulnerability or continuity risks as well as data loss. In addition to these risks, completely changing one’s infrastructure would also require plenty of unnecessary code rewrites that waste developers’ time and resources.

To further support the idea that post-quantum algorithms have become increasingly necessary, The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has pondered the importance of PQT against cyber attacks to the extent that security frameworks adopting PQT algorithms are about to be standardized by the organization. This change in NIST’s standards will then soon require US-based organizations and businesses to comply.

Regardless of how modern cryptography management and crypto-agility seem to be essential for organizations in our modern, digital age, SandboxAQ’s quantum security group’s Head of Product, Graham Steel, believes that “there has been a distinct lack of open-source tools for developers to support these features.”

This thought is what led to “Sandwich,” a unified API of cryptographic meta-library designed to give developers freedom in choosing implementations, protocols, and languages while building their high-performing data security application.

Cryptographic Management

Fully aware that cryptography is no easy feat despite its severity, SandboxAQ built “Sandwich” for developers to conduct and run PQT algorithms without having to waste significant amounts of time and energy from groups of developers as they would with traditional methods. “Sandwich” is also meant to remove the need for developers to consult with cryptographers, providing independence.

While traditional cryptography may cause errors and bugs that are expensive to fix, “Sandwich”’s open-source nature makes its use free for non-commercial and educational use, accessible through the startup’s GitHub repository. For commercial applications, however, developers can contact SandboxAQ directly for licensing options, the cost depending on usage.

Aside from cost and time, “Sandwich” provides flexibility to developers. Development teams can utilize languages as well as operating systems that they are already used to working in, as “Sandwich” supports C/C++, Rust, Python, and Go, along with MacOS and Linux. Developers are also given the opportunity to switch between libraries and protocols in a simple manner with OpenSSL, BoringSSl, and libOQS available in SandboxAQ’s API for use.

Developers can use the API by deciding which protocol and implementation they prefer to use, which Sandwich then composes into a Sandwich object, creating a secure tunnel that links the developer’s application via the API.

The API’s range of library options allows developers to choose the most fitting in accordance with their product based on the library’s specific functions and features. According to SandboxAQ, the libOQS would do well in securing government and educational data, whereas OpenSSL and BoringSSL can provide essential encryption for users of websites, devices, and applications.

With its unified API, SandboxAQ wishes to empower developers to create their own stack, or “sandwich,” of protocols and implementations and change their configurations safely and efficiently in order to bring their cryptography objects and applications to life.

Meme & AI-Generated Picture

Job Posting

• Brigit - Lead Growth Analyst - San Francisco, CA+ (Remote)

• NBCUniversal - Senior Data Engineer, AdSmart - New York City, NY+ (Remote/Hybrid)

• PrizePicks - Staff Data Science Engineer - Atlanta, GA+ (Remote/Hybrid)

• StriveWorks - Senior Software Engineer - Austin, TX+ (Remote/Hybrid)

Promote your product/service to Digger Insights’ Community

Advertise with Digger Insights. Digger Insights’ Miners are professionals and business owners with diverse Industry backgrounds who are looking for interesting and helpful tools, products, services, jobs, events, apps, and books. Email us [email protected]

Your feedback would be greatly appreciated. Send it to [email protected]