To monitor and analyze unusual quantum signatures and node behavior in the GCUL network for early compromise detection, Google Cloud integrates post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) protections directly into its infrastructure, including Cloud Key Management Service (Cloud KMS). The monitoring involves:
- Using quantum-safe digital signatures compliant with NIST PQC standards to cryptographically sign and verify data, helping detect forgery or tampering possibly enabled by quantum adversaries.
- Analyzing cryptographic signature anomalies and node behavior through these quantum-resistant keys and audit logs in the ledger to identify unexpected or suspicious activities.
- Employing software and hardware-based quantum-safe encryption modules (Cloud KMS and Cloud Hardware Security Modules) that ensure keys are quantum-resistant and managed securely.
- Starting early integration and testing of PQC algorithms in critical workflows to anticipate and mitigate “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” attacks, thus enabling early compromise detection by validating the integrity and origin of transactions even under quantum threats.
Regarding the most promising post-quantum algorithms for GCUL applications, Google has introduced two quantum-safe digital signature algorithms in its Cloud KMS preview:
- ML-DSA-65: A lattice-based digital signature algorithm (FIPS 204), providing strong quantum resistance with efficient performance.
- SLH-DSA-SHA2-128S: A stateless, hash-based digital signature algorithm (FIPS 205) designed for robustness and quantum security.
These algorithms are standardized by NIST and supported for integration in Google’s cryptographic libraries (BoringCrypto and Tink), ensuring transparency and auditability. Hybrid algorithms combining classical and post-quantum schemes are also under consideration but are not yet standardized or implemented broadly.
In summary, GCUL leverages these robust post-quantum signature algorithms within its key management and ledger auditing processes for monitoring unusual quantum signatures and node behavior, providing early detection of compromises from quantum-capable attackers.