With finalized post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standards due to be unveiled later this year, SandboxAQ is wasting no time growing and strengthening its channels into PQC-ready market segments. Though the new year has barely begun, the company just made its second major security-focused channel partner announcement of 2024, partnering with Accenture to provide quantum computing and AI solutions to help organizations identify and remediate cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
While cybercriminals are using AI-enabled tools to advance ransomware attacks, obtain user passwords and spear phish employees, recent Accenture research has shown that executives at targeted organizations are having more trouble adapting AI for their own use and protection as part of enterprise-wide zero-trust architectures that require strong cryptographic management.
Accenture and SandboxAQ are aiming to ease that challenge by delivering to these organizations comprehensive AI-enabled cryptographic management that leverages SandboxAQ’s Security Suite. The solution will enable organizations to scan all of their files, applications and network traffic to ensure that all of their data–whether on-premise or hosted via major cloud providers–is secure even when attackers break through firewalls and network endpoints, the companies said in a statement. In doing so, they will be able to build a line of defense against the growing threat of quantum computing-based decryption attacks that could otherwise easily dismantle current encryption.
“With the increased use of AI and generative AI, cyberattacks are becoming more targeted and precise,” said Paolo Dal Cin, global lead of Accenture Security. “Our collaboration with SandboxAQ will better equip organizations to defend against a myriad of cybersecurity and quantum risks before a cyber adversary can strike.”
The new teaming will help Accenture’s own clients leverage SandboxAQ’s AI and simulation solutions, which are currently being used to accelerate drug discovery and advance materials science, and SandboxAQ’s quantum sensing solutions, which are being tested in geomagnetic navigation systems and next-generation medical imaging devices, the partners added.
One client already benefiting from this approach is a global nonprofit health organization aiming to mitigate its quantum risk. Accenture and SandboxAQ have created a multi-phased approach to enhance the organization’s quantum security strategy and discover the most at-risk uses of cryptography across its networks, third parties, and vendors, as well as their public networks in more than 100 countries. This approach will help the nonprofit reduce its risks from newly vulnerable cryptographic protocols, lower its overall operating costs and reduce the time to deploy lifesaving health solutions.
“Cyberattacks are on the rise and are severely impacting enterprises and governments,” said Jack D. Hidary, CEO of SandboxAQ. “With Accenture, we’ll be able to provide comprehensive cryptographic management solutions that will protect their clients against both current and future threats. We will also be working with Accenture on other products including next-gen AI simulation.”
SandboxAQ’s other channel partner announcement earlier this month was with Carahsoft, which provides Hidary’s firm with a path into the public sector market.
For Accenture, the SandboxAQ partnership is in step with its ongoing, wide-ranging involvement in the quantum sector. The company said it has developed an eight-step quantum roadmap, and partnered with or invested in several leading technology providers. Among these is a project with at least one other quantum cybersecurity firm–QuSecure–which Accenture discussed about a year ago.
Also notable was Accenture’s early investment in start-up Good Chemistry, which none other than SandboxAQ just announced it is acquiring. The professional services giant also has worked with other industry leaders to design a Quantum Security Maturity Index to give corporate boards and executives a way to measure their quantum security infrastructure against their peers and identify areas for improvement.
Dan O’Shea has covered telecommunications and related topics including semiconductors, sensors, retail systems, digital payments and quantum computing/technology for over 25 years.