PQShield Continues Its Leading Role in International Cryptography Standardization from NIST to RISC-V for Software and Hardware

(PRNewswire) PQShield has announced that it is further strengthening its cryptographic hardware team with the appointment of Ben Marshall, the editor and main author of the RISC-V “K” Cryptography Extension, as a Cryptography Engineer. Ben will continue to contribute to RISC-V International’s cryptography standardisation efforts while also working on PQShield’s post-quantum hardware architecture.
PQShield is a cybersecurity startup that specialises in post-quantum cryptography, protecting information from today’s attacks while readying organisations for the threat landscape of tomorrow. It is the only cybersecurity company that can demonstrate quantum-safe cryptography on chips, in applications and in the cloud. Headquartered in Oxford, with additional teams in the Netherlands and France, its quantum-secure cryptographic solutions work with companies’ legacy systems to protect devices and sensitive data now and for years to come. PQShield is principally backed by Kindred Capital, Crane Venture Partners, Oxford Sciences Innovation, and InnovateUK. Its latest white papers are available to read here.
With one of the UK’s highest concentrations of cryptography PhDs outside academia and the classified sector, the PQShield team is also a leading contributor to NIST’s post-quantum cryptography standardisation project, now in its concluding stages, having contributed two of the seven finalist algorithms.
For over a year, PQShield has been working with Ben and the RISC-V International Cryptographic Extensions Task Group (CETG) to provide solid, FIPS-compliant symmetric cryptography foundations for the RISC-V ISA, which helps to support PQShield’s post-quantum cryptography mission. CETG has adopted versions of the lightweight AES and entropy source interface (TRNG) originally designed by PQShield into the official extension.
PQShield offers size and performance-optimized implementations of all NIST PQC Finalist algorithms, together with post-quantum coprocessor solutions for RISC-V-based platforms. Several leading device manufacturers have already chosen PQShield’s PQC IP for integration into hardware security solutions that will be compliant with upcoming German BSI and US NIST/FIPS post-quantum cryptography standards.