F5 and NetApp to safeguard data with post-quantum cryptography

F5 and NetApp have teamed up to collaborate on high-performance AI data delivery by addressing the increasing demand for secure, resilient, and scalable solutions for AI workloads and S3 storage environments.

This builds on an existing collaboration between F5 and NetApp in a bid to prepare enterprises for the post-quantum cryptography (PQC) era of protecting sensitive data from potential threats of quantum computing misuse.

John Maddison, chief marketing officer at F5, said: “Enterprises are increasingly faced with balancing demand for both unprecedented application performance and robust cybersecurity.

“Our collaboration with NetApp is aimed at simplifying high-performance AI data delivery scenarios, while enabling customers to adopt post-quantum readiness incrementally,” he added.

The duo is combining the F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform (ADSP) with intelligent data infrastructure for AI built on NetApp technology to help enterprises scale AI data delivery and defend against evolving cybersecurity threats, including those posed by impending quantum computing advancements.

PQC innovations for data security

The collaboration enables users to leverage PQC solutions from F5 and NetApp to help address the growing risk posed by quantum computing advancements as the security measures can protect sensitive S3 data flows. With quantum computing anticipated to impact industries by enabling calculations beyond the capabilities of classical computers, it could be used to compromise current cryptographic standards in the near future.

For this reason, F5 and NetApp warn of the pressing concern for organizations, particularly amid the rise of the “harvest now, decrypt later” strategy, where attackers exfiltrate encrypted data intending to decrypt it later when quantum computing can accomplish the task. To mitigate these threats, F5’s BIG-IP supports hybrid key agreement and NIST-approved algorithms for quantum-resistant secured communications, providing additional support for PQC for NetApp StorageGRID clusters.

These solutions are said to enable organizations to transition incrementally to quantum-safe encryption practices without major disruptions. A recommended approach includes adopting the TLS 1.3 protocol universally to establish a strong foundation for PQC readiness, providing faster handshakes, reduced latency, and enhanced bandwidth efficiency.