Cybersecurity firm Forescout, which has a UK base in London, has launched a solution capable of detecting non-quantum-safe encryption in real time. This breakthrough is poised to secure enterprise infrastructure in anticipation of the rapidly approaching quantum computing era.
The advancement forms the cornerstone of Forescout’s “Quantum-Safe Security Assurance” strategy, designed to identify, assess, and address post-quantum cryptography (PQC) security vulnerabilities across IT, Operational Technology (OT), and Internet of Things (IoT) environments. Invented in 2023 and patented in 2024, Forescout’s technology continuously analyses device encryption to pinpoint vulnerabilities susceptible to quantum attacks.
The urgency for organisations to become quantum-safe is escalating and most organisations are still unprepared; new data from Forescout Research – Vedere Labs reveals that only 6% of global devices currently utilise PQC.
Barry Mainz, CEO of Forescout, commented: “Quantum computing is no longer a far-off concept. It’s a fast-approaching reality that will challenge the foundations of digital trust. Every organisation, public or private, needs to start thinking about post-quantum resilience across IT, OT, and IoT environments today. This is a rare opportunity to get ahead of a generational shift in cybersecurity before urgency overtakes strategy.”
Forescout’s technology analyses the cryptographic ciphers supported by each device, scoring them against post-quantum safety standards, and highlighting encryption risks. This is achieved regardless of whether the device is managed or unmanaged, compliant or evasive. Positioned at the network layer, Forescout can detect risky encryption usage even when devices attempt to conceal their identity or security posture.
The Forescout 4D Platform™ implements a comprehensive four-pronged quantum-safe strategy: detect, enforce, mitigate, and control.
- Detect: Forescout’s patented technology identifies PQC-safe assets in real time, providing cryptographic posture visibility across hybrid networks.
- Enforce: Forescout eyeSegment facilitates network segmentation, enabling the isolation of critical systems and securing communication pathways.
- Mitigate: Leveraging proprietary threat intelligence from Forescout Research – Vedere Labs, Forescout assists in detecting rogue assets or misconfigurations to promptly enforce policy.
- Control: Forescout safeguards at-risk devices by limiting their network traffic.
Forescout has also released new research that underscores the critical vulnerability of most connected devices against emerging quantum computing threats. Key findings include:
- Only 6% of 186 million SSH servers on the internet currently support quantum-safe encryption methods.
- Less than 20% of global communications utilise Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3, which is the only version of TLS supporting PQC.
- While the adoption of NIST-standardised algorithms like ML-KEM has surged by 554% over six months, they still account for less than 0.1% of servers.
- OT, IoT, and Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices face even greater barriers to PQC adoption, often requiring extensive firmware overhauls or complete hardware replacement.
“We’re seeing a clear drop-off in PQC migration once the early adopters are accounted for,” observed Daniel dos Santos, Head of Research at Vedere Labs. “The data shows that most systems aren’t upgrading fast enough to keep pace with the advancing threat model.”
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