NVIDIA Architect Warns We Might Need to Rip and Replace Hardware for PQC – with TCG

From The Post-Quantum World by Protiviti

May 27, 2026 · 41 min · Episode 129

About this episode

Thorsten Stremlau discusses the challenges and implications of quantum computing on hardware security and the need for potential hardware replacements to achieve PQC readiness.

Quantum technical debt is the idea that some devices cannot be upgraded to PQC. In this episode, Thorsten Stremlau, a Systems Principal Architect at NVIDIA and Co-Chair of the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) Marketing Work Group, joins host Konstantinos Karagiannis to discuss the critical role of hardware roots of trust in protecting against the quantum computing threat. Stremlau outlines the challenges of integrating heavier PQC algorithms into resource-constrained chips like the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), highlighting technical hurdles such as increased computational intensity, memory bloat, and heightened vulnerability to side-channel and denial-of-service attacks. To counter these quantum threats while maintaining historical stability, the TCG has released the TPM 2.0 library version 1.85 paired with the platform specification 107. This combination leverages built-in crypto-agility to implement mature algorithms like ML-KEM and ML-DSA, while still supporting hybrid classical-quantum models to ensure a smoother migration path for enterprises. However, Stremlau issues a stark warning regarding the industry's timeline and the reality of quantum technical debt, revealing that…

People in this episode

Host: Konstantinos Karagiannis

Guest: Thorsten Stremlau

Topics covered

quantum computing
hardware security
PQC
Trusted Platform Module
quantum technical debt
crypto-agility

Keywords

quantum technical debt
PQC compliance
hardware roots of trust
TPM
quantum threats
crypto-agility
enterprise migration

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NVIDIA, Trusted Computing Group

Products: TPM 2.0, ML-KEM, ML-DSA