Post-Quantum Cryptography for Big Data Security

Abstract

The emergence of quantum computing is a severe threat to traditional encryption technologies particularly those applied to large-scale data environments. Since big data systems are based on encryption algorithms that can theoretically be broken using quantum algorithms such as Grovers and Shors, big data systems are especially susceptible. Big data systems are characterized by huge volume, velocity and variety. Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) offers a proactive way of safeguarding such systems through the use of quantum-resistant algorithms that include hash-, lattice-, code-, and multivariate polynomial algorithms. This work discusses how PQC can be incorporated into big data infrastructures, particularly in distributed environments such as Hadoop and Spark, secure storage and real-time processing. Potential solutions are discussed along with such crucial topics as interoperability, computing overhead, and classical-to-quantum-safe standard transition. By adopting an early form of implementation of PQC, organizations can future-proof their big data security framework against an evolving quantum threat landscape.