The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published a final version of a cybersecurity white paper discussing the challenges of adopting post-quantum cryptographic algorithms. The paper highlights the need for new cryptographic algorithms that are resistant to quantum computer-based attacks, as practical quantum computing will break the security of most modern public-key cryptographic systems.
The white paper identifies several challenges associated with adopting and implementing post-quantum cryptography, including the need for new algorithms, updates to existing protocols and infrastructures, and the complexity of migrating to new cryptographic systems. NIST plans to address these challenges by developing new standards and providing guidance for implementing post-quantum cryptographic systems.
The paper concludes by discussing NIST’s next steps in helping with the migration to post-quantum cryptography, including the development of new standards and the provision of guidance for implementing post-quantum cryptographic systems. If you have questions or comments on the white paper or would like to join the NCCoE Community of Interest for this topic, you can email applied-crypto-pqc@nist.gov. More information is also available on the NCCoE’s Crypto Agility web page.
Keywords: post-quantum, cryptography, algorithms, migration, standards
