Security Platform said on Tuesday it has released as open source the MicroPQC project, a lightweight post-quantum cryptography (PQC) technology optimised for edge devices.

The company said existing PQC technology required high-performance CPU-based computing because of complex operational structures, but Security Platform's MicroPQC lightens the workload so it can operate reliably in microprocessor (MCU) environments with limited computing resources. It supports a total of 8 standard algorithms, including 4 PQC standard algorithms from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and 4 Korean post-quantum cryptography (KpqC) standard algorithms. The source code can be found on the global open-source platform GitHub.

Security Platform said it plans to steadily expand supported processors through the MicroPQC project so security-critical edge devices such as drones, robots, self-driving cars and smart home appliances can prepare for new security threats in the era of quantum computing. Starting with this open-source project, it plans to complete additional PQC-related development within the year and fully apply PQC technology to its product lineup for home network segmentation, IP cameras, smart meters and weapons systems security.

Security Platform CEO Hwang Su-ik (황수익) said, "We will secure a range of edge-device application cases so that companies preparing for the quantum computing era can immediately adopt PQC in real-world settings."