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Description
For a plain-language introduction to post-quantum cryptography, go to: What Is Post-Quantum Cryptography?
As researchers around the world race to build quantum computers that could break the current encryption that provides security and privacy for our digital lives, NIST is helping to secure our future by developing algorithms that will protect our data and systems (and continues to evaluate additional algorithms that could one day serve as backup standards).
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.
These Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS), mandatory for federal systems and adopted by organizations around the world, provide detailed descriptions of the 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.
Migration to PQC
With the release of the first three final PQC standards, organizations should begin migrating 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. Under the transition timeline in NIST IR 8547, NIST will deprecate and ultimately remove quantum-vulnerable algorithms from its standards by 2035, with high-risk systems transitioning much earlier.
The Migration to Post-Quantum Project at the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence is working with industry, academia, and federal partners to accelerate this shift by demonstrating tools to find and prioritize vulnerable systems, supporting interoperable solutions, and developing migration guidance.
Learn more and collaborate alongside us!
- Learn more about transitioning to the new standards on our NCCoE Migration to PQC page.
- Learn more about post-quantum cryptography and how quantum science is used in cryptography.
- Questions? Contact us: pqc-comments [at] nist.gov (pqc-comments[at]nist[dot]gov).
For a complete overview of the project, including events and publications, visit our CSRC page on Post-Quantum Cryptography