Quantum-resistant signing on AWS, Part 1: Build a software supply chain with ML-DSA

This article demonstrates how to build a quantum-resistant software supply chain on AWS using ML-DSA signing with AWS KMS, AWS Private CA, and IAM Roles Anywhere to protect against future quantum computing threats.

• Establish ML-DSA root and subordinate CAs in AWS Private CA to create a quantum-resistant certificate hierarchy
• Create ML-DSA code-signing keys in AWS KMS with FIPS 140-3 Level 3 HSM protection
• Issue end-entity certificates binding identities to KMS keys for artifact signing
• Configure IAM Roles Anywhere with ML-DSA certificates for quantum-resistant workload authentication
• Sign binaries, container images, and SBOMs using AWS KMS ML-DSA keys with EXTERNAL_MU method
• Attach signatures as OCI referrer artifacts in Amazon ECR for container images
• Wrap SBOMs in in-toto Statements to cryptographically bind them to specific artifacts
• Verify signatures using OpenSSL 3.5 and enforce ML-DSA-only policies with AWS Organizations SCPs
• Audit all signing operations through AWS CloudTrail for compliance and forensics

The architecture addresses the "harvest now, forge later" threat where attackers could forge signatures on artifacts signed today using future quantum computers, protecting software integrity across the full supply chain.