Western Digital said on May 19 it integrated post-quantum cryptography (PQC) into its latest high-capacity Ultrastar UltraSMR hard disk drives (HDDs).

Western Digital is unveiling HDDs that apply quantum-resistant algorithms approved by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The company said this is an important industrial shift showing quantum security is moving beyond theoretical planning into hardware-level defense. It added that it could protect large-scale data lakes underpinning AI innovation from the possibility that future quantum computers could disable existing cryptographic protection systems.

Western Digital said, "Attackers can collect currently encrypted or signed data with the goal of decrypting it or forging security signatures when quantum capabilities mature in the future. Therefore, organizations must begin preparing now to ensure long-term cryptographic resilience."

Western Digital Chief Technology Officer and senior vice president Xiaodong Che (샤오둥 체) said, "As AI data accumulates and its value and retention period expand, protecting it securely into the future is no longer a choice." He added, "Quantum computing is one of the most important technological shifts of our time, and it is advancing faster than many organizations expect. The security architecture that has protected enterprise storage over the past decade must now evolve."