The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released the first finalized standards for post-quantum cryptography (PQC) in 2024. These new encryption algorithms are designed to protect sensitive data, such as medical records and financial information, from future attacks by powerful quantum computers. While traditional encryption relies on math problems that quantum devices could solve quickly, these new standards use different mathematical techniques that remain secure against both current and future technology.
The standards were developed over several years through an open public process involving experts from around the world. NIST selected four initial algorithms, with three based on complex lattice-based math and one using hash functions. These tools are ready for immediate use and will be adopted by federal agencies as well as made available for free public use to ensure digital security remains robust as quantum computing technology matures.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/cybersecurity-and-privacy/what-post-quantum-cryptography
Keywords: post-quantum encryption, lattice-based cryptography, cryptographically relevant quantum computer