Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) plays a critical role in securing medical information against future threats posed by quantum computers. Medical data, including electronic health records (EHRs), patient diagnostics, and research datasets, requires long-term protection. Quantum computers could break widely used cryptographic algorithms like RSA and ECC, compromising medical data confidentiality and integrity. PQC provides quantum-resistant algorithms to mitigate this risk.
Application in Medical Information Security:
Secure Data Transmission: PQC algorithms (e.g., lattice-based or hash-based cryptography) can encrypt data exchanged between hospitals, labs, and cloud storage, ensuring quantum-safe communication.
Example: A hospital transmits patient genomic data to a research institution over a network using a PQC-enhanced TLS protocol.
Data-at-Rest Encryption: Medical records stored in databases or backups can be protected with PQC algorithms to prevent unauthorized access, even if quantum attacks become feasible.
Example: A healthcare provider encrypts EHRs using a PQC-based key management system before storing them in a hybrid cloud environment.
Digital Signatures for Medical Documents: PQC-based digital signatures ensure the authenticity and integrity of prescriptions, lab reports, and consent forms, resisting quantum forgery attempts.
Example: A telemedicine platform uses PQC signatures to verify the authenticity of electronic prescriptions sent to pharmacies.
For implementing PQC in healthcare, Tencent Cloud offers quantum-resistant cryptographic solutions integrated with its secure storage and communication services, helping medical institutions future-proof their data against quantum threats.