Abstract
Hardware security modules (HSMs) sit at the core of digital trust, protecting transactions, PKI systems, and authentication. As quantum computing approaches, traditional HSMs face limits that can’t be solved by patching old hardware. In this episode of Shielded: The Last Line of Cyber Defense, host Johannes Lintzen speaks with Bruno Couillard, CEO and co-founder of Crypto4a and co-creator of the Luna HSM, about building quantum-safe HSMs. Bruno explains the difference between PQC-ready and PQC-providing, warning that retrofitting classic devices is not enough. He highlights PKI as the no-regret first step and shows how hybrid models let organizations bridge classic and post-quantum algorithms. Cloud adoption and scalability challenges demand modular, cloud-aligned HSMs instead of isolated, priest-only boxes.
Bruno’s message is that HSMs are the foundation of digital security, and crypto-agility is now essential for surviving the quantum era.
What You’ll Learn
- The origin story of the Luna HSM and why it shaped modern key management
- Why SSL in 1995 marked the “Big Bang” of the digital economy
- PQC-ready vs. PQC-providing: the critical distinction vendors don’t always make
- Why firmware updates can’t turn classic HSMs into true quantum-safe systems
- How hybrid approaches allow gradual migration from RSA/ECC to PQC algorithms
- Why PKI is the best “no-regret” first step in any migration plan
- The cloud challenge: why HSMs must evolve from priest-only boxes to scalable, modular systems
- The future of cryptography: crypto-agility as a permanent requirement, not a one-off project
- Why cryptography is back at the forefront and ripe for young talent
Bruno Couillard is the CEO and co-founder of Crypto4a Technologies, where he leads the development of quantum-safe, crypto-agile products like the QxHSM and QxEDGE. With nearly four decades of experience in cryptography, key management, and cybersecurity, Bruno has shaped the hardware security module (HSM) landscape from its origins to its next evolution. Earlier in his career, Bruno cofounded Chrysalis-ITS and co-designed the original Luna HSM, a product that remains foundational to global PKI systems and is now part of the Thales portfolio. He also contributed to the creation of the PKCS#11 standard and served as a cryptographic evaluator for the Canadian government, where he assessed and architected high-assurance military security products, including the Canadian Cryptographic Modernization Program.
Today, Bruno sits on the board of Quantum Industry Canada (QIC), co-chairs the Quantum Industry Developers and Users Working Group, and serves on Canada’s National Quantum Strategy committee, actively shaping the country’s quantum-safe cybersecurity ecosystem. Known for his clear perspective, he emphasizes the urgent need for crypto-agility, the distinction between PQC-ready and PQC-providing systems, and the modernization of HSMs to meet cloud and scalability demands.
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