Preparing Synology NAS for Post-Quantum Encryption Era
The Future of NAS Security and Quantum-Safe Encryption
Encryption keeps backups, archives, and files that are shared on network storage safe. Most businesses trust modern standards like AES and TLS today because they are safe from classical computers. The attackers of today are not the problem. The problem is the computing power of tomorrow.
Quantum computing changes the way we think about threats. It doesn’t just speed up attacks. It violates certain mathematical assumptions employed in prevalent encryption systems. Companies that keep data for a long time need to get ready now because stolen encrypted data can be decrypted later when quantum technology gets better.
Encryption on Synology NAS Right Now
Synology systems use cryptographic standards that are widely accepted. These methods are still safe right now and shouldn’t be thought of as weak.
- AES-256 protects data that is stored, like backups and shared folders.
- TLS keeps data safe while it moves between devices and cloud targets.
- RSA and ECC take care of key exchange, authentication, and certificates.
Even in a quantum age, AES is still expected to be strong, but bigger key sizes will be better. The real problem seems to be with asymmetric cryptography, especially RSA and ECC, which quantum algorithms could theoretically break.
Where Future Weaknesses Will Show Up
Shor’s algorithm and other algorithms help quantum computers quickly break down big numbers. This has a direct effect on RSA and elliptic curve cryptography, which are both used a lot for secure communication and trust in certificates.
“Harvest now, decrypt later” is what this risk is called. Attackers may already be able to get encrypted traffic or backups and keep them until quantum systems can break the keys.
The data that is most at risk is:
Archives for a long time
Records of money and the law
Records of health care
Property of the mind
Databases of identities
Planning must start before quantum systems become useful if data needs to stay private for ten years or more.
What Does Quantum-Safe Cryptography Mean?
Post-quantum cryptography, also known as quantum-safe encryption, uses math problems that quantum algorithms can’t solve. These are cryptography methods that use lattices, hashes, and codes.
The goal is not to get rid of AES storage encryption right away. The goal is to replace key exchange and identity verification methods that would otherwise make encrypted storage keys public.
This mostly affects NAS environments:
Connections to VPN
Management portals for HTTPS
Authentication for cloud backups
Infrastructure for certificates
Links for safe file sharing
A hybrid cryptography approach
Companies shouldn’t suddenly switch to a new type of cryptography. They choose to use hybrid cryptography instead. Hybrid systems use both classical encryption and post-quantum algorithms at the same time.
To decrypt communication with a hybrid handshake, you need to break both a traditional key and a quantum-safe key. This method works with current devices and gets ready for better security in the future.
Upgrading TLS libraries, turning on new certificate standards, and slowly re-encrypting long-term archives with stronger key wrapping methods are all common steps in the transition path.
Making plans for the transition in Synology environments
Classification comes before configuration in the preparation process. Companies need to figure out which data needs to stay private for more than ten years.
Next is getting the infrastructure ready. When new cryptographic libraries come out, they should be able to be used right away. Backup formats should let you re-encrypt without having to do a full restore and rebuild.
Last but not least, authentication systems like VPNs and external access portals need to be able to handle changes to certificates. This keeps services from going down while security upgrades are happening.
The Security Perspective of Synology
Synology storage already has separate layers for encrypting data, transferring data, and authenticating users. With this layered design, companies can upgrade cryptographic parts one at a time instead of having to rebuild all of their storage systems. As post-quantum standards get better, systems that can handle modular updates will be able to switch over faster and more safely than fixed-architecture storage platforms.
About the Epis Technology
Epis Technology helps businesses figure out what their long-term data privacy needs are and get their storage systems ready for cryptographic changes. The company makes backup and storage systems that can change with new encryption standards while still being available. Epis Technology makes sure that businesses are safe from both today’s cyber threats and future computational risks by deploying, monitoring, and planning the lifecycle of Synology.