[Cryptography] Post Quantum Crypto enters the mainstream

[Jerry Leichter]

IBM today announced their latest mainframe iteration - the z16.  It has an (optional, I think) "Crypto Express 8S" hardware security module which implements both "classical" and "quantum-safe" crypto.  The module "provides quantum-safe APIs providing access to quantum-safe algorithms which have been selected as finalists during the PQC standardization process conducted by NIST." Elsewhere they mention that they are using lattice-based algorithms.

Interestingly, these algorithms are used as part of the secure boot process for these machines, and to "ensure the integrity of the firmware."  I assume that means PQC-based signature and secure checksum algorithms.

The thing also has some AI support hardware that they specifically cite as useful in fraud detection at ... absurd scale:  They claim 300 billion "inference requests" per day with 1ms latency.  I guess that also brings AI into a different part of the mainstream.
                                                        -- Jerry