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Showing posts with label Digital Signatures. Show all posts
Quantum- safe Encryption
Cloud cloud service providers Cyber Security Digital Signatures Google Google Cloud PQC Quantum threats Quantum- safe Encryption

Google Cloud Introduces Quantum-Safe Digital Signatures

 

As quantum computing advances, Google Cloud is taking a significant step toward securing its platform against future threats. The company has announced the introduction of quantum-safe digital signatures in its Cloud Key Management Service (KMS), currently available in preview. 

This move is part of a broader initiative to prepare for the potential risks that quantum computers pose to modern encryption systems. While fully capable quantum computers are not expected to be widely available for at least a decade, they could one day break most of today’s encryption methods in a matter of hours. This looming possibility has led to concerns over a harvest-now-decrypt-later strategy employed by cybercriminals. 

In this method, attackers steal encrypted data today, intending to decrypt it once quantum computing becomes powerful enough. To counter this risk, researchers are developing post-quantum cryptography (PQC)—encryption techniques specifically designed to withstand quantum attacks. One major security risk posed by quantum computing is the potential forgery and manipulation of digital signatures. 

Digital signatures authenticate documents and communications, ensuring they have not been tampered with. If compromised, they could allow attackers to impersonate legitimate users, forge transactions, or spread malware under trusted identities. Google Cloud recognizes the importance of addressing these concerns early and has introduced quantum-resistant digital signatures to build a more secure infrastructure. 

This initiative also aims to set an industry precedent for other cloud service providers. As part of its commitment to transparency and security, Google Cloud has announced that its quantum-related cryptographic implementations will be included in its open-source cryptographic libraries, BoringCrypto and Tink. This allows security researchers and developers to review, audit, and contribute to these implementations, ensuring their robustness against potential threats. 

The new quantum-safe digital signatures in Cloud KMS specifically implement ML-DSA-65 and SLH-DSA-SHA2-128S, two PQC algorithms that adhere to NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) standards. Google Cloud has also confirmed plans to integrate additional PQC algorithms into its Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), which are specialized devices designed to provide extra layers of cryptographic security.  

By rolling out these quantum-resistant digital signatures, Google Cloud is giving customers the opportunity to test PQC algorithms in Cloud KMS and provide feedback on their performance and integration. This allows businesses to prepare for a post-quantum future, ensuring their data remains secure even as computing power evolves. 

Google Cloud sees this initiative as a crucial first step toward a fully quantum-resistant cloud ecosystem, demonstrating its dedication to staying ahead of emerging cybersecurity challenges.
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Windows
Digital Signatures Google Hackers malware Windows

Hackers Discover Technique to Make Malware Undetectable on Windows

 

Investigators within the cybersecurity industry have revealed a unique approach used by a threat actor to purposefully avoid detection using flawed digital signatures of their malware payloads. 

In a written report on Thursday, Google Threat Analysis Group's Neel Mehta claimed attackers produced flawed code signatures that seem to be valid by Windows and are not capable of somehow be decoded or controlled by OpenSSL code. 

A notorious family of undesirable software, called OpenSUpdater, used it to download and install other suspected programming on affected computers, was found to be exploiting the new technique. Users in the U. S., most likely to download pirated game versions and other gray-area software, were among the campaign or cyber attack targets. 

However, these conclusions are made from samples of OpenSUpdater that have been uploaded to VirusTotal since at least mid-August. 

Whilst still opponents are dependent on unlawfully procured digital certificates in previous malware and undesired software, or even have embedded attack code in digitally signed software components by trying to poison the supply chain, OpenS Updater continues to stand out because it uses deformed signatures deliberately to slip through the defense. Whereas the attack code has been entered into the digitally signed software. 

"This is the first time TAG has observed actors using this technique to evade detection while preserving a valid digital signature on PE files," Mehta said. 

"Code signatures on Windows executables provide guarantees about the integrity of a signed executable, as well as information about the identity of the signer. Attackers who can obscure their identity in signatures without affecting the integrity of the signature can avoid detection longer and extend the lifetime of their code-signing certificates to infect more systems." 

The artifacts are authenticated/signed with an invalid leaf X.509 certificate – modified in such a way so as contain an End-Of-Content (EOC) marker rather than a NULL tag in the 'parameters' feature of the Signature Algorithm fields. Despite products that use OpenSSL to get signature data are denied as invalid, tests on Windows PCs could enable the file to be executed without any notice of security.
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