Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
- Now is the time to migrate to new post-quantum encryption standards, before quantum computers put today's encryption at risk.
- Three NIST standards that were developed through a rigorous, international process are ready to be implemented now.
As researchers around the world race to build quantum computers that could break the current encryption providing security and privacy for our digital lives, NIST is helping to secure our future by developing algorithms to protect our data and systems.
NIST has already released three post-quantum cryptography standards that can be implemented now to secure a wide range of electronic information, from confidential email messages to e-commerce transactions that propel the modern economy. NIST continues to evaluate additional algorithms that could one day serve as backup standards.
These Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS), which are mandatory for federal systems and adopted by organizations around the world, provide detailed descriptions of post-quantum encryption and digital signature algorithms so they can be implemented consistently to facilitate secure and interoperable communication. They were developed through an eight-year effort managed by NIST, which has a long history of developing cryptography standards.
Organizations should begin applying these standards now to migrate their systems to quantum-resistant cryptography. Cybersecurity products, services and protocols will need updates, and organizations must identify where vulnerable algorithms are used and plan to replace or update them. NIST is working with technology companies, standards organizations, integrators and customer organizations to demonstrate approaches and tools to support migration.
Learn more and collaborate with us
- Learn more about migrating to the new standards on our NCCoE Migration to PQC page.
- Join our Migration to Post-Quantum Cryptography Community of Interest at the NCCoE.
- Learn more about post-quantum cryptography and how quantum science is used in cryptography.
- Participate in the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography project.
How NIST Standards are Used
NIST cryptographic standards — including the new PQC standards — are widely used across government and industry. Federal agencies are required to use them, and many governments, national cryptographic authorities and international standards organizations often adopt them to ensure consistent security and interoperability.
These standards are also integrated into industry standards, specifications and technologies that are used to protect information in commercial products and services. Groups such as the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) are incorporating PQC algorithms into core internet protocols like Transport Layer Security (TLS), and industry organizations are updating application and systems to guard against the threat of quantum computers. Broad international adoption of standards and technologies helps ensure that secure, interoperable PQC is built into the commercial products and services that underpin modern digital systems and communication.
Explainers
What Is Post-Quantum Cryptography?
