Quantum Readiness Scoring System - TYCHON Quantum Readiness Documentation

Overview

The Quantum Readiness Scoring System evaluates a system's preparedness for the post-quantum cryptography (PQC) era. Using a comprehensive 100-point scale, it assesses hardware capabilities, operating system support, cryptographic libraries, and network readiness to provide actionable insights and upgrade recommendations.

⚡

Local Mode Only

Quantum readiness assessment is only available during local mode scans (-mode local). It can be disabled with the -disable-quantum-readiness flag.

Assessment Categories

• Hardware Assessment: CPU, memory, security hardware (40 points)
• Operating System: Version support, crypto frameworks (30 points)
• Crypto Libraries: OpenSSL, system crypto support (25 points)
• Network Readiness: Bandwidth, protocol capabilities (5 points)

Readiness Levels

Ready: 88-92+ points

Partially Ready: 68-75+ points

Update Required: 45-55+ points

Not Ready: <45-55 points

Scoring Methodology

Hardware Assessment (40 Points)

CPU Capabilities (20 Points)

• Architecture: 64-bit required (0 points for 32-bit)
• Instruction Sets: AES-NI, AVX2, BMI support
• Core Count: Multi-core performance scaling
• CPU Generation: Modern architecture support

Memory Capacity (15 Points)

• 8GB+: 8-10 points
• 16GB+: 12-13 points
• 32GB+: 15 points (server threshold)
• 64GB+: 15 points (enterprise)

Security Hardware (5 Points)

• TPM Module: Hardware security support
• Secure Boot: Boot integrity verification
• Hardware RNG: True random number generation
• Enclave Support: Intel SGX, ARM TrustZone

Operating System Assessment (30 Points)

Version Support (20 Points)

macOS Scoring:

• 15.0+ (Sequoia): 20 points
• 14.0+ (Sonoma): 15 points
• 13.0+ (Ventura): 12 points
• 12.0+ (Monterey): 8 points
• 11.0+ (Big Sur): 5 points
• 10.15+ (Catalina): 2 points
• Older versions: 0 points

Windows Scoring:

• Windows 11 24H2+: 20 points
• Windows 11: 15 points
• Windows 10 22H2: 10 points
• Windows 10 older: 5 points
• Windows 8.1 or older: 0 points

Linux Scoring:

• Kernel 6.0+: 20 points
• Kernel 5.15+: 15 points
• Kernel 5.4+: 10 points
• Kernel 4.x: 5 points
• Older kernels: 0 points

Crypto Framework (10 Points)

• Modern Framework: Native PQC APIs available
• Crypto Libraries: System-level crypto support
• API Compatibility: PKCS#11, CNG, Security.framework
• Hardware Integration: HSM and TPM support

Crypto Libraries Assessment (25 Points)

OpenSSL Version (15 Points)

• 3.4.0+: 15 points (Full PQC support)
• 3.3.0+: 12 points (Experimental PQC)
• 3.2.0+: 10 points (Limited PQC)
• 3.1.x: 8 points
• 3.0.x: 6 points
• 1.1.1: 3 points (Legacy)
• 1.1.0 or older: 0 points

System Crypto (10 Points)

Platform-Specific:

• macOS: Security.framework, CommonCrypto
• Windows: CNG, CAPI, Schannel
• Linux: libgcrypt, NSS, kernel crypto

Assessment Factors:

• Library version and PQC readiness
• Algorithm support coverage
• Performance optimization level
• Integration with system services

Network Readiness Assessment (5 Points)

Bandwidth Capacity (3 Points)

• Gigabit+: 3 points
• 100 Mbps+: 2 points
• 10 Mbps+: 1 point
• Below 10 Mbps: 0 points

Protocol Support (2 Points)

• TLS 1.3: Modern protocol support
• HTTP/2, HTTP/3: Advanced protocols
• IPv6: Next-generation networking
• QoS Support: Traffic prioritization

System Classification & Thresholds

Workstation Systems

Classification Criteria:

• Desktop or laptop computers
• Single-user or personal systems
• Platform family contains "workstation" or "standalone"
• RAM < 32GB (typical threshold)

Readiness Thresholds:

Ready 88-100 points

Partially Ready 68-87 points

Update Required 45-67 points

Not Ready 0-44 points

Server Systems

Classification Criteria:

• Enterprise or data center systems
• Multi-user or service systems
• High-performance hardware specifications
• RAM ≥ 32GB (typical threshold)

Readiness Thresholds:

Ready 92-100 points

Partially Ready 75-91 points

Update Required 55-74 points

Not Ready 0-54 points

Criticality Levels

Critical

Mission-critical systems requiring immediate PQC readiness

Important

Business-important systems with higher security requirements

Standard

Standard business systems with normal security needs

Critical Failure Conditions

Certain system characteristics result in automatic score reductions or caps, reflecting fundamental incompatibilities with post-quantum cryptography requirements.

Blocking Conditions (0 Points)

32-bit Architecture
Cannot support PQC key sizes and operations
Extremely Low Memory (<4GB)
Insufficient for PQC algorithm execution

Score Limitations

Legacy OS Versions
Score capped at 70% of maximum possible
Outdated Crypto Libraries
Heavy penalties applied to crypto scoring

Recommendations & Upgrade Pathways

Immediate Actions (High Impact)

• Operating System Update: Upgrade to latest OS version with PQC framework support
• OpenSSL Upgrade: Update to OpenSSL 3.4.0+ for full post-quantum algorithm support
• Memory Upgrade: Increase RAM to recommended levels (16GB+ workstation, 32GB+ server)
• Architecture Migration: Replace 32-bit systems with 64-bit alternatives

Medium-Term Improvements

• Hardware Security: Enable TPM, Secure Boot, hardware RNG capabilities
• Network Infrastructure: Upgrade to gigabit networking, implement TLS 1.3
• Crypto Framework: Integrate modern cryptographic APIs and libraries
• CPU Upgrade: Modernize processors with AES-NI, AVX2 instruction sets

Long-Term Strategy

• PQC Algorithm Testing: Implement and test NIST-approved algorithms
• Performance Optimization: Tune systems for PQC cryptographic workloads
• Security Policy Updates: Develop quantum-safe cryptographic policies
• Training & Documentation: Prepare teams for post-quantum transition

Timeline Estimates

Ready (88-92+)

Immediate deployment

Partially Ready (68-75+)

2-6 months

Update Required (45-55+)

6-12 months

Not Ready (<45-55)

12+ months

Technical Integration

Command Line Usage

# Enable quantum readiness assessment (default in local mode)
./certscanner -mode local -output report.json

# Disable quantum readiness assessment
./certscanner -mode local -disable-quantum-readiness -output report.json

# View quantum assessment in different formats
./certscanner -mode local -outputformat json -output quantum.json
./certscanner -mode local -outputformat tychon -output quantum.ndjson
./certscanner -mode local -outputformat html -output quantum.html

Output Integration

• JSON: quantum_readiness field in scan report
• NDJSON: Flattened quantum.* fields in all events
• Tychon: ECS-compliant quantum assessment events
• HTML: Interactive scoring dashboard
• EventLog: Event ID 1005 for quantum assessments

API Data Structure

{
  "quantum_readiness": {
    "assessment_id": "qr_20250915_101539_abc123",
    "timestamp": "2025-09-15T10:15:39.123456-07:00",
    "system_type": "workstation",
    "overall_score": 64,
    "readiness_status": "Update Required",
    "status_color": "orange",
    "hardware_score": {
      "total_score": 32,
      "cpu_score": 18,
      "memory_score": 14,
      "security_hardware_score": 0
    },
    "operating_system_score": {
      "total_score": 15,
      "version_score": 12,
      "crypto_framework_score": 3
    },
    "crypto_library_score": {
      "total_score": 12,
      "openssl_score": 8,
      "system_crypto_score": 4
    },
    "network_score": {
      "total_score": 5,
      "bandwidth_score": 3,
      "protocol_capability_score": 2
    },
    "recommendations": [
      "Upgrade to macOS 15.0+",
      "Update OpenSSL to 3.4.0+"
    ]
  }
}