SoftBank Bolsters IT Security with SandboxAQ’s AQtive Guard, Uncovering Hidden Vulnerabilities

SoftBank Corp. has successfully deployed SandboxAQ’s AQtive Guard, a cryptography management platform, to identify undetected security vulnerabilities in its IT infrastructure. The platform monitored a local government network, discovering several servers using non-recommended encryption methods and vulnerable certificates.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is promoting a project to migrate to post-quantum cryptography by 2030. SoftBank and SandboxAQ have previously partnered on projects related to post-quantum cryptography (PQC). SandboxAQ, an enterprise SaaS company, was formed at Alphabet Inc. and is backed by investors, including T. Rowe Price and Eric Schmidt.

SandboxAQ’s AQtive Guard

SandboxAQ, an enterprise SaaS company specializing in AI and quantum technology, recently announced the successful deployment of its AQtive Guard cryptography management platform by SoftBank Corp.’s Advanced Research Group. The platform was extensively tested for its ability to identify cryptographic and certificate-based vulnerabilities to AI and quantum computer-based cyber attacks against IT systems, including networks, end-points, and applications.

AQtive Guard in Action: A Case Study with SoftBank

As part of the validation process, SoftBank utilized AQtive Guard to monitor a local government network for potential cryptographic vulnerabilities. The platform identified several government servers using non-recommended encryption methods or transmitting unencrypted traffic. It also detected several vulnerable certificates that required updates.

The SoftBank team was able to take the necessary actions to resolve these issues, thanks to AQtive Guard. The platform provided a comprehensive view of the network’s security posture and confirmed its ability to discover and flag cryptographic vulnerabilities throughout the network. Newly added features, such as single sign-on integration, audit logging, horizontal scaling, high availability, and seamless ticketing integration, provided essential elements for deploying enterprise-class solutions at scale.

The Future of Cryptography: Post-Quantum Cryptography and Zero Trust Architecture

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the U.S. is promoting the “Migration to Post-Quantum Cryptography” project in anticipation of the emergence of a quantum computer capable of decrypting the 2048-bit RSA cipher by 2030. The institute will determine the cryptographic algorithms to be adopted as Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) in 2024.

Migrating to these new cryptosystems, deployed via cryptographic agility, can aid in the adoption of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA). In 2022, a U.S. Presidential Executive Order directed government agencies to inventory IT systems using encryption vulnerable to quantum computers. A comprehensive inventory of such IT systems vulnerable to quantum computing technology will be necessary for future migration planning.

A History of Collaboration: SoftBank and SandboxAQ

SoftBank and SandboxAQ have previously collaborated on several successful PQC-related projects. In March 2022, the companies worked together to implement a next-generation cryptosystem resilient to cyber attacks from quantum computers and verify the use of PQC for practical applications, such as VPNs. In February 2023, they jointly verified hybrid-mode quantum-safe technology. The proof of concept confirmed that combining elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) and PQC algorithms in a hybrid approach could be applied to existing networks with minimal impact.

SandboxAQ, formed at Alphabet Inc., emerged as an independent, growth-capital-backed company in 2022. The company is backed by T. Rowe Price, Eric Schmidt (chairman of SandboxAQ), Breyer Capital, Guggenheim Partners, Marc Benioff, Thomas Tull, Paladin Capital Group, and other leading investors.

SoftBank Corp., guided by the SoftBank Group’s corporate philosophy, operates telecommunications and IT businesses in Japan and globally. The company is expanding into non-telecom fields in line with its “Beyond Carrier” growth strategy while further growing its telecom business. By fully harnessing the power of AI, 5G/6G, IoT, Digital Twin, Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) solutions, including High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS)-based stratospheric telecommunications, and other advanced technologies, SoftBank Corp. aims to be “a company that provides next-generation social infrastructure essential to the development of a digital society.”