"Samsung SDS (018260.KS) has secured the largest pool of cryptography specialists among private companies in Korea. Based on this, we are also preparing a consulting business for post-quantum cryptography transitions going forward."
Yoon Hyo-jin, vice president of the Security Algorithm Lab at Samsung SDS, said this in a recent interview with the Seoul Economic Daily at the company's Jamsil headquarters in Seoul. Samsung SDS has assembled a team of 16 specialists, including cryptography Ph.D. holders and developers. This represents the largest such team among private-sector companies in Korea.
Samsung SDS is securing top talent and focusing on the encryption-based security market because advancing quantum computing technology poses a growing risk of rendering existing security systems ineffective. "Just a few years ago, the damage from a security breach was limited to financial losses," Yoon said. "Now, with everything connected through the cloud, areas that could directly threaten people's lives are under attack, making security critically important."
A quantum computer is a machine that processes data using quantum mechanical phenomena. As quantum computers advance, problems that are difficult for conventional computers to solve are expected to be cracked in a short time. A prime example is the public-key encryption method currently used for user and device authentication and digital signatures. This method has maintained its security based on computational difficulty such as "factoring large numbers into primes." Quantum computers threaten to fundamentally undermine the current encryption system by solving such problems in a short period. As technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing advance, and as autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots expand from the online realm into the physical world, these threats can now lead to serious real-world harm. "With the emergence of quantum computers, the security of encryption algorithms using public keys doesn't just halve compared to before — it drops to zero," Yoon added.
Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is considered the leading countermeasure. PQC is an encryption system designed based on mathematical problems that are difficult to solve even with quantum computers. "The advantage of post-quantum cryptography is that there is no need to replace currently used devices such as PCs," Yoon explained. "It has the effect of reducing time and cost." This contrasts with quantum key distribution (QKD), another security method discussed for the quantum computing era, which requires separate equipment. QKD works by transmitting the key for encrypting data via quantum signals, rather than sending the encrypted data itself. "If the purpose of an attack is not just data collection but to sever communications, this method is also not safe," he said. "Implementing this method on servers, PCs, and mobile devices requires server-grade hardware equipment, and the transmission distance is limited to tens of kilometers."
Major countries are rapidly moving to adopt PQC systems for these reasons. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, Japan, and China are all targeting the transition from existing encryption to PQC by 2035 at the latest. The Korean government has also laid out a blueprint to complete the transition to PQC by 2035.
The problem is that the private sector's preparations are progressing slowly. Private companies are prioritizing AI transformation (AX) over security. "Creating post-quantum cryptography doesn't mean the transition happens immediately," Yoon pointed out. "You need to identify where and what types of encryption are being used in existing systems, and Korea is lacking in this regard." He added, "All institutions, companies, and government agencies must carry out related consulting and build automated systems for mapping and monitoring. It is a task that requires significant time and cost."
Samsung SDS is leveraging its cryptography team to focus on developing related technologies. Earlier, Samsung SDS's "AIMer" algorithm, developed in an industry-academia collaboration with KAIST, was selected as a finalist in the "digital signature post-quantum cryptography algorithm" category at the national KpqC competition last year. "We are working on transitioning our own software to post-quantum cryptography first," Yoon stressed. "Many companies are focused on developing AI, large language models (LLMs), and agentic AI, setting aside their interest in security — but from next year and the year after, security will need to be a key consideration."
