INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC KEY CRYPTOGRAPHY AS A TOOL FOR INCREASING THE INVESTMENT ATTRACTIVENESS OF DIGITAL PLATFORMS
In the realities of the intensive growth of cyber threats, traditional perimeter-based approaches to data protection are predictably losing their barrier function. It seems that the ability of digital ecosystems to withstand hacking has ceased to be perceived by the market as a purely technical or infrastructural task. In essence, information security has transformed into a fundamental driver of business capitalization. Meanwhile, when assessing the technological environment, pronounced contradictions are observed today. The engineering community persistently declares the need for an emergency migration of networks due to the growing "quantum threat." However, investment and venture capital institutions often operate with more "stretched" planning horizons, frequently overlooking the real transaction costs of integrating next-generation protocols. The aim of the article is to conduct an interdisciplinary analysis of the impact of advanced public key cryptography methods on the funding prospects of IT services. Based on the results of the work, it is logically argued that the architectural transition to post-quantum specifications, fully homomorphic encryption, and zero-knowledge proofs has a direct correlation with the growth of valuation multiples. By abandoning the accumulation of excessive sensitive data, regulatory risks are significantly reduced; the likelihood of compliance fines is minimized. The author's contribution is manifested in the conceptualization of the latest algorithms: complex mathematical primitives are argued to be presented as full-fledged economic tools through which long-term competitive advantage is formed. At the same time, a specific scheme for eliminating technological debt through an audit of cryptographic agility is proposed. The formulated conclusions and practical recommendations will be useful to technical directors, members of corporate boards of directors, hedge fund analysts, and specialists conducting startup audits before merger and acquisition procedures or initial public offerings.