{"id":3584,"date":"2025-02-18T18:26:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T18:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/?p=3584"},"modified":"2025-02-14T18:32:05","modified_gmt":"2025-02-14T18:32:05","slug":"harvest-now-decrypt-later-smb-prevention-methods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/harvest-now-decrypt-later-smb-prevention-methods\/","title":{"rendered":"What \u2018Harvest Now, Decrypt Later\u2019 Means for SMBs (and 7 Steps to Prevent These Attacks)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Quantum computing doesn\u2019t mean the end of the world, but its eventual arrival will threaten the security of your data. There are steps you can take to help harden your business against harvest now, decrypt later (HNDL) attacks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A recent episode of Sectigo\u2019s \u201cRoot Causes\u201d podcast<\/a> explored the enterprise threat harvest now, decrypt later (HNDL)<\/a>. This attack method involves collecting encrypted data now (harvesting) to hold onto it to \u201cbreak\u201d (decrypt) the encryption later once quantum computers become more readily available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understandably, discussions about harvest now, decrypt later attacks typically focus on enterprises. However, small and mid-size businesses also collect and store data, and they typically don\u2019t have as many resources as their larger business counterparts. So, this makes them potentially easier prey for HNDL attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what does this threat mean for small and mid-size businesses? And what can you do to protect your data against harvest now, decrypt later attacks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breaking Down the Harvest Now, Decrypt Later Threat for SMBs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In a nutshell, a harvest now, decrypt later attack is a way for bad guys to collect your data now and sit on it until later (i.e., when the quantum-based technology becomes available later that allows them to decrypt it). The data they collect now could be exposed within the next few years or potentially a decade from now. This is why this attack method is also known as retrospective encryption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"An
Image caption: A basic illustration demonstrating how a harvest now, decrypt later attack works and the threat it poses to everyone from small and mid-size businesses to large enterprises (and their customers) over time.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Data harvesting could be happening right under your nose as we speak. This means your company\u2019s most sensitive data \u2014 customers\u2019 personally identifiable information (PII), employees\u2019 PII, proprietary data, research, intellectual property, everything<\/em> \u2014 is at risk of being compromised by cybercriminals who want to exploit it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All they have to do is play the waiting game\u2026 because the types of data they\u2019re after don\u2019t have a short shelf life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attackers Focus on Collecting the Most Valuable (Evergreen) Data Possible<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s true that harvest now, decrypt later attackers are collecting massive amounts of data, not all data will remain useful over time.  For example, credit card numbers aren\u2019t necessarily useful because they change every few years, and cardholders can cancel their cards and have new ones issued relatively easily if there\u2019s concern about a potential compromise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why bad guys seek the types of data that retain perpetual value and have long lifespans. A few examples include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n