FAQs

Company & Vision

The Cryptography (Skeptic’s Corner)

The Post-Quantum Threat & Timing

Product — Symmatrics Encryption Protocol (SDK)

Product — Symmatrics VPN (QPN)

Product — AuthAM (Authentication & Access Management)

Platform & Infrastructure

Integration & Deployment

Commercial & Getting Started

Security & Operations

Compliance & Certifications

What is Symmatrics?

Symmatrics has solved the problem that eluded cryptographers for 75 years: mathematically unbreakable, One-Time Pad encryption — now deployable at internet scale. In a post-quantum world, Symmatrics secures every data file, financial transaction, email, text, and voice communication transmitted over the internet — making it the foundational security layer for the global digital economy.

Symmatrics is building a new trust layer for the post-quantum internet. Instead of relying on long-lived public keys and certificates that quantum computers are expected to break, we secure data using single-use symmetric keys delivered at scale by our patented Key Distribution Center. The result: no reusable secret is left behind for an attacker — classical or quantum — to steal or crack later.

Where is Symmatrics based?

Symmatrics is head quartered in Vienna, Virginia, in the greater Washington, D.C. area.

Who is behind Symmatrics?

Symmatrics is built by a team with deep government-security and cryptography experience and a track record of prior technology exits.

Who is Symmatrics for?

Any organization handling sensitive, regulated, or mission-critical data. We see the fastest traction in financial services, cloud and AI infrastructure, and casino & gaming, with strong fit in healthcare, public sector, and telecom.

What does “Continuously Expiring Trust” mean?

It’s our name for the core design principle: trust that refreshes constantly instead of persisting. Long-lived keys, certificates, and credentials are the things attackers, AI, and future quantum computers rely on. By replacing them with keys that are used once and expire, we collapse the window an attacker has to work with — often to a single exchange.

What does Symmatrics actually do, in two sentences?

We replace the fragile, long-lived cryptographic trust underneath today’s internet with ephemeral, single-use keys that expire the moment they’re used — making intercepted data worth-less today and in the quantum era. Our patented One-Time-Pad Symmetric key approach has been operationally-proven by the US Intelligence and Defense Communities for 50+ years and, because it eliminates usernames and passwords, can reduce 80% of the $10 trillion cybercrime industry -- an $8 trillion cost-savings impact.

What problem does Symmatrics solve?

Our patented One-Time-Pad Symmetric key approach also eliminates usernames and passwords, which can reduce 80% of most cybercrime today -- a $10 trillion cybercrime industry -- giving our solution an $8 trillion cost-savings impact.

Nearly all encryption in use today rests on math problems that are hard for classical computers but solvable by a sufficiently powerful quantum computer. Symmatrics removes that dependency by using one-time symmetric keys, so intercepted data stays worthless today and in the quantum era.

Is Symmatrics available now?

Yes — with honest scoping. Our VPN (QPN) and Key Distribution Center are deployable today. Our SDK, AuthAM (password less access), and data-at-rest protection are on the roadmap. We’d rather tell you exactly what ships now than blur the line.

Isn’t this the same as other“quantum” encryption vendors?

Many vendors market post-quantum products built on computationally secure PQC algorithms, and some make FIPS or standards claims worth checking against the actual NIST CMVP certificate. Symmatrics’ differentiator is delivering single-use symmetric keys at internet scale.

How is this different from Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)?

QKD distributes keys using quantum physics but typically requires specialized hardare and dedicated fiber, which limits where it can be deployed. Symmatrics delivers the security benefits of single-use symmetric keys over ordinary internet infrastructure —no special hardware or dedicated links required.

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How is this different from NIST’s post-quantum standards (ML-KEM, ML-DSA)?

NIST’s post-quantum algorithms are excellent and standards-track, but they’re still computationally secure —they replace today’s math with new math believed to be hard for quantum computers. Symmatrics avoids that bet with single-use symmetric keys, which quantum computers give no advantage against. Many organizations will run both; Symmatrics is designed to sit alongside a NIST PQC migration, not replace it.

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Where does your randomness come from?

The security of a one-time pad depends entirely on the keys being truly random, not pseudo-random. Symmatrics generates keys from true random sources rather than deterministic algorithms.

One-time pads have always failed on key distribution. How does Symmatrics solve that at internet scale?

This is the classic objection, and it’s the right one — historically OTP failed on logistics, not math. Our patented Key Distribution Center (KDC) generates truly random keys and delivers single-use symmetric keys only to verified endpoints, with no public-key exchange in the path. The key-delivery engineering is the actual product.

Isn’t “mathematically unbreakable encryption” just marketing?

It’s fair skepticism — most bold crypto claims don’t survive expert scrutiny. Ours is deliberately scoped: it applies to a correctly used one-time pad, whose security is a mathematical proof, not a difficulty assumption. The hard part isn’t the cipher (which has been trusted for decades) — it’s delivering single-use keys at scale, which is what our technology does.

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What do you mean by“mathematically unbreakable”?

It refers to a specific, well-established property proven by Claude Shannon in 1949: when a symmetric key is truly random, used once, and at least as long as the message, the cipher text reveals no information about the original message — a guarantee called perfect secrecy, or information-theoretic security, that is stronger than the computational difficulty other ciphers depend on.

Two honest points: it describes the cipher, not the whole system — real-world security also depends on how keys are generated and delivered, which is exactly what our KDC is designed to protect; and it protects the data, not careless endpoints or people. We say it plainly because precision is what technical buyers respect.

What is a one-time pad (OTP)?

A one-time pad encrypts a message by combining it with a random key that is the same length as the message and used only once. When those conditions hold, it is the only encryption method proven to be unbreakable regardless of an attacker’s computing power.

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What’s the difference between symmetric and asymmetric (public-key) encryption?

A symmetric (public-key) encryption uses a public key to lock data and a private key to unlock it. It show most of the internet works today — and it’s the part most exposed to quantum attack, because the math behind it can be reverse-engineered by a powerful enough computer.

Symmetric encryption uses the same shared key to lock and unlock. It has no public-key math to break, so with strong, single-use keys it stands up to quantum computing. The historical catch has always been getting the shared key to both sides securely at scale — the exact problem Symmatrics is built to solve.

What is a “trust layer,” and why does the internet need a new one?

Almost everything online rests on a hidden assumption: that certain long-lived keys and certificates will stay secret. That assumption is the internet’s trust layer — and it’s aging. Quantum computing and AI-accelerated attacks target exactly those long-lived secrets. Symmatrics replaces that assumption with something sturier: trust that is created fresh for each exchange and expires immediately, so there’s nothing durable left to compromise.

Will becoming quantum-ready mean replacing all our systems?

No. Symmatrics is designed to layer onto existing infrastructure — via the VPN for drop-in protection with no application code changes today, and via the SDK for embedding into applications on the roadmap.

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If quantum computers aren’t here yet, why act now?

Because migration takes years and the data you send today can be decrypted later. Organizations that wait until Q-Day to start will have already leaked years of sensitive traffic.

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Does the quantum threat affect data at rest, in transit, or both?

Both. Data in transit is exposed to interception and later decryption, and data at rest encrypted with vulnerable algorithms is exposed the moment its storage is breached. Today, Symmatrics protects data in motion; data-at-rest protection is on our roadmap.

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When is “Q-Day,” and how soon should we act?

No one can name the exact date a cryptographically relevant quantum computer arrives, but “harvest now, decrypt later” means the risk to long-lived data is present today. U.S. federal guidance has set concrete migration timelines — for example, new National Security System acquisitions must support quantum-resistant cryptography (CNSA2.0) by January 1, 2027 — so planning is a now problem, not a future one.

What is “harvest now, decrypt later”?

Adversaries are recording encrypted traffic today to store and decrypt once quantum computers mature. Any data with a long confidentiality lifetime — health records, financial data, intellectual property, state secrets — is exposed the moment it’s transmitted, even if decryption happens years from now.

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Why does quantum computing threaten today’s encryption?

A large quantum computer running Shor’s algorithm can efficiently solve the math problems (like factoring and discrete logs) that RSA and elliptic-curve cryptography rely on. That would break the encryption protecting most of the world’s data in transit today.

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Will integrating the SDK require rewriting our application?

The SDK is designed for integration flexibility with minimal disruption. Exact effort depends on your architecture.

How does the SDK handle key delivery under the hood?

Applications using the SDK authenticate as verified endpoints and receive single-use symmetric keys from the Key Distribution Center, so keys are exchanged only between verified parties and are never reused.

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Do our developers need cryptography expertise to use it?

The SDK is designed for integration flexibility with minimal disruption. Exact effort depends on your architecture.

What is the Symmatrics Encryption Protocol (SDK)?

The SDK lets developers embed Symmatrics encryption directly into their applications and infrastructure. It provides a standardized way to obtain and use single-use symmetric keys from the Key Distribution Center for quantum-resistant encryption.

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What performance overhead does QPN add?

QPN is designed for real-world, high-velocity environments.

Do end users have to change how they work?

No. Devices run the Symmatrics VPN client to become authorized, after which network traffic is encrypted automatically.

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How is QPN different from a traditional VPN?

Traditional VPNs rely on public-key handshakes to establish sessions — the exact mechanism quantum computing threatens. QPN eliminates that key-exchange vulnerability by using dynamically generated single-use symmetric keys instead.

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What is the Symmatrics VPN (QPN)?

A drop-in VPN powered by the Symmatrics Encryption Protocol. It generates a fresh one-time symmetric key for every connection, delivering quantum-resistant session protection without custom development.

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What happens if a device is lostor stolen?

Access is tied to device verification and managed centrally, so a lost or stolen device can be de-authorized.

How does password-less authentication work without a password?

Instead of a shared secret a user types (and an attacker can phish), AuthAM binds authentication to a verified device using single-use symmetric keys. There’s no password to steal, phish, or reuse.

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What is AuthAM?

AuthAM is Symmatrics identityand access management platform. It provides role-driven access control with symmetric keying and full administrative visibility, replacing passwords and static credentials with ephemeral keys tied to verified devices.

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How do the SDK, VPN, and AuthAM relate to each other?

All three are powered by the same core: single-use symmetric keys delivered by the KDC to verified end points. The SDK embeds this into applications, the VPN applies it to network sessions, and AuthAM applies it to identity and access.

What is the Management Interface?

The Management Interface is a web console where administrators on board devices, manage users, and monitor security activity across the network.

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What is a Secure Access Portal (SAP)?

A SAP is any device that has been verified by the Symmatrics platform. Once authorized, it can securely send and receive encrypted data with no manual key handling or exposure to third parties.

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What is the Key Distribution Center (KDC)?

The KDC is the core service that generates, manages, and distributes encryption keys. It ensures keys are exchanged only between verified parties, under strict security and operational control. Think of it as a trusted key concierge that hands each conversation afresh, one-time key and never issues the same one twice.

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Can Symmatrics see or access our data?

Symmatrics is a key-delivery and encryption layer, not a data processor: data is encrypted at your endpoints, and the platform’s role is to deliver single-use keys to verified parties.

How are keys protected intransit and at rest?

Keys are single-use and delivered only to verified endpoints, so there’s no long-lived, reusable secret sitting around to be stolen. Once a key is used, it expires.

What happens if the KDC becomes unavailable?

Availability of key delivery is central to the platform, so Symmatrics is built with resilience and disaster recovery in mind.

Does Symmatrics work with our existing network infrastructure?

Yes. The VPN operates over ordinary internet infrastructure and is designed to work alongside your existing network — no special hardware or dedicated links required.

How long does a typical deployment take?

It varies by path: the VPN can be deployed quickly with no code changes, while SDK integration depends on your application.

Can we deploy on-premises, in the cloud, or hybrid?

Yes — Symmatrics supports on-premises, cloud, and hybrid deployment depending on your security and compliance needs.

How does Symmatrics fit into our existing environment?

Two paths: the VPN, for fast deployment with no custom development (available today), or the SDK, for teams embedding encryption directly into their own applications (roadmap). Both are designed for adoption with minimal disruption.

How do we get started or request a demo?

Start a discussion through the contact form on symmatrics.com, or request the SEP technical whitepaper for the full cryptographic detail. From there we’ll scope the right path — VPN today, SDK or AuthAM as they become available — for your environment.

How is Symmatrics priced and licensed?

Pricing depends on deployment model, scale, and use case, so we scope it to your environment rather than list a number that won’t fit. Our posture is to make quantum-resistant protection accessible — including structured pilots — so you can prove value before committing.

Can Symmatrics see or access our data?

Symmatrics is a key-delivery and encryption layer, not a data processor: data is encrypted at your endpoints, and the platform’s role is to deliver single-use keys to verified parties.

How are keys protected intransit and at rest?

Keys are single-use and delivered only to verified endpoints, so there’s no long-lived, reusable secret sitting around to be stolen. Once a key is used, it expires.

What happens if the KDC becomes unavailable?

Availability of key delivery is central to the platform, so Symmatrics is built with resilience and disaster recovery in mind.

Which regulations and frameworks does Symmatrics support?

By strengthening encryption of sensitive data, Symmatrics supports organizations subject to regimes like HIPAA, PCI DSS, and sector-specific data-protection rules.

Does Symmatrics help us meet federal quantum-readiness mandates?

We’re building toward federal requirements and we’re candid about where we are. Today the VPN and KDC are deployable, and we’re in FIPS 140-3 CMVP validation. Our symmetric-key approach is a complement to — not a drop-in substitute for — the specific NIST PQC algorithms that mandates like CNSA 2.0 require for National Security Systems. For federal and defense evaluations, we’ll map exactly what’s validated, what’s in process, and how Symmatrics fits your PQC migration.

Is Symmatrics NIST-aligned and FIPS validated?

Symmatrics is undergoing FIPS140-3 validation through NIST’s Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) and currently appears on the Implementation Under Test (IUT) list. Only a module with an issued CMVP certificate can be called “FIPS validated,” so we don’t use that phrase yet.

“NIST-aligned” means our design follows applicable NIST guidance — for example, in key management and random number generation. It does not mean NIST endorses Symmatrics, and it does not mean we implement the NIST PQC algorithms (ML-KEM / ML-DSA).

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