Quantum computers will break today's most widely used encryption. WALM Capture is built on a post-quantum cryptography foundation — protecting field data, device identity, and audit trails for decades to come. This guide explains why it matters and how it works.
The Challenge
Quantum computing is advancing rapidly. Many of today's most widely deployed cryptographic systems — particularly those based on RSA and elliptic-curve cryptography — are vulnerable to attacks from sufficiently powerful quantum computers.
For workplace asset systems, this matters in a specific and urgent way. Autonomous devices, connected sensors, and field data streams carry operational intelligence that must remain confidential and unaltered not just today, but for the entire lifetime of the assets they monitor — which can span decades.
Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) refers to algorithms designed to remain secure against both classical and quantum computing attacks. Transitioning to PQC is not a future task. The harvest-now, decrypt-later threat means that data captured today without quantum-safe protection is already at risk from adversaries who archive it for later decryption.
WALM Capture's security architecture is built around five foundational principles that address this challenge across every layer — from device connectivity to human authorization to long-term audit records.
Adversaries do not need quantum computers today to put your data at risk. They collect encrypted data now and store it — waiting for quantum capability to arrive before decrypting it. Any long-lived data captured without quantum-safe protection is already a potential target.
Principle 01
Traditional networks open inbound doors for devices to receive commands. Those doors are also doors for attackers. A better model keeps them closed entirely.
Devices initiate encrypted sessions from inside the protected network. No inbound firewall ports are required, and no public IP addresses need to be exposed — eliminating the most common attack surface.
Outbound-only tunnels support distributed operations across many sites without the configuration overhead of traditional VPN architectures — reducing operational risk while improving coverage.
Encrypted tunnels are designed to support ML-KEM key encapsulation — meaning the same connectivity infrastructure that protects devices today can be upgraded to quantum-resistant key exchange as standards are adopted.
Because the communication model is outbound-only and protocol-agnostic, cryptographic upgrades can be applied without restructuring the underlying network or redeploying devices.
Principle 02
As automation expands, the operations that most need human judgment are the ones most at risk of being bypassed. PQC-secured authorization ensures critical actions can't be forged — now or in the future.
Every sensitive action — initiating a workflow, authorizing a system change, approving a contract event — is tied to a cryptographic signature from a verified human identity. The signature proves who approved it and when, without any possibility of repudiation.
Approval signatures use ML-DSA — a NIST-standardized post-quantum digital signature algorithm. This prevents future quantum computers from forging approvals or compromising identity systems even after classical cryptography becomes breakable.
Biometric authentication, context-aware identity checks, and passwordless verification feed into the authorization layer — ensuring the human in the loop is genuinely present, not just a credential being replayed.
The model is designed to remain trustworthy as automation expands. Routine operations run autonomously; sensitive operations require verified human authority — with the boundary defined by policy, not hard-coded into system architecture.
Principle 03
Autonomous systems operate inside workflows that require accountability. An immutable audit trail means every event is permanently recorded — and remains trustworthy for the lifetime of the asset and beyond.
Each event in a workflow — job entry, autonomous transport, production completion, delivery confirmation — is cryptographically logged and linked to its predecessor. The chain cannot be silently altered; any tampering breaks the cryptographic integrity.
Long-lived audit records are especially vulnerable. Quantum-safe signatures and hashing applied at the time of recording protect historical logs from future decryption or tampering — even decades after the original event.
Records are structured so any authorized party can verify integrity independently — without access to private keys or a central verification authority. Transparency and accountability are built into the record structure itself.
Immutable audit trails provide the documentation foundation for SLA compliance reviews, contract renewals, insurance claims, and regulatory requirements — with integrity that holds up to scrutiny across the full asset lifecycle.
Principle 04
A unified PQC networking layer ties together device connectivity, human authority, and immutable records — all protected by NIST-standardized quantum-resistant algorithms.
Module-Lattice Key Encapsulation Mechanism (formerly CRYSTALS-Kyber) is used to securely exchange encryption keys between devices and servers. Based on the hardness of lattice problems — problems that remain computationally infeasible for quantum computers.
Module-Lattice Digital Signature Algorithm (formerly CRYSTALS-Dilithium) provides quantum-resistant digital signatures for device identity, human approvals, and audit record integrity. Every signature is verifiable without revealing the private key.
The PQC layer provides a unified security model across printers, scanners, MFPs, AMRs, and robotics — regardless of manufacturer or protocol. One quantum-safe foundation, every device type.
Both ML-KEM and ML-DSA were finalized by NIST in 2024 following a multi-year public evaluation process. They are open standards, independently analyzed by the global cryptography research community.
Secures key exchange between devices and infrastructure. Replaces RSA and ECDH for quantum-safe session establishment.
NIST FIPS 203Provides quantum-resistant signing for identity, approvals, and audit records. Replaces RSA and ECDSA signatures.
NIST FIPS 204Principle 05
No algorithm is permanent. Cryptographic standards evolve as research advances and threats emerge. Crypto-agility means WALM Capture can adopt new algorithms without redesigning the system that depends on them.
The system is not locked to any single cryptographic algorithm. The security layer is abstracted from the application layer — meaning a new PQC standard can be adopted by updating the cryptographic module, not rewriting the platform.
Cryptographic keys and signing certificates can be rotated on schedule or in response to new threat intelligence — without taking devices offline or disrupting field operations. Rotation is a planned operational event, not an emergency.
As quantum computing capabilities advance and new attack vectors are discovered, a crypto-agile system can respond quickly — adopting stronger algorithms or hybrid approaches without waiting for a full platform replacement cycle.
NIST's PQC standardization is an ongoing process. WALM Capture's crypto-agile design ensures that future NIST-finalized algorithms — including those currently under evaluation — can be adopted as they become available.
Summary
Together, these five architectural elements — plus the Capture Gateway they protect — create a security posture for autonomous systems that remains trustworthy across the full lifecycle of the assets it monitors.
Devices communicate outbound only. No inbound firewall ports, no exposed public IPs. External attack vectors are eliminated at the architecture level — not patched after the fact.
ConnectivitySensitive operations require a cryptographically verified human approval, signed with quantum-resistant ML-DSA. Automation expands without compromising accountability for critical decisions.
AuthorityEvery lifecycle event is cryptographically chained and logged with quantum-safe signatures. Records remain independently verifiable and tamper-evident for the lifetime of the asset — and beyond.
TrustML-KEM for key encapsulation and ML-DSA for digital signatures — both finalized by NIST in 2024. Open standards, independently verified by the global cryptography research community.
StandardsThe security layer is decoupled from the application layer. New algorithms can be adopted as standards evolve, keys can be rotated without downtime, and the system adapts to emerging threats without platform replacement.
ResilienceThe WALM Capture Gateway is the convergence point for all five principles — the single layer where quantum-safe connectivity, identity verification, and immutable logging come together for every asset in the fleet.
GatewayQuantum-Safe from Day One
WALM Capture's PQC foundation means the data flowing through your Capture Gateway today is protected against threats that don't fully exist yet. Start your 90-day PoC and build on security that won't need to be rebuilt.