Western Digital integrated post-quantum cryptography (PQC) into its latest Ultrastar UltraSMR hard disk drives. This industry-first initiative protects long-lived AI data sets from future quantum computing threats.
The technology specifically defends against harvest now, decrypt later (HNDL) attacks. These attacks involve stealing encrypted data today to decrypt it once quantum computers become powerful enough to break current standards.
Multiple hyperscale customers are currently qualifying the new drives. The hardware implements NIST-approved quantum-resistant algorithms to harden the root of trust. This establishes a foundational security layer for AI infrastructure where massive data volumes are stored long-term.