NIST finally agrees on quantum-safe crypto standards

NIST says this algorithm is intended to serve as a backup in case ML-DSA appears compromised.

In addition to algorithms

In addition to statistical encryption algorithms, NIST has also released relevant implementation information.

“These finalized standards include instructions for incorporating them into encryption products and systems,” said Moody. “We encourage program managers to start integrating them into their programs as soon as possible, because full integration will take time.”

The transition to quantum-safe cryptography will be more difficult than previous cryptographic evolutions because the algorithms are very different from classical encryption, because there are many different algorithms to be used for different use cases, and because the software supply chain is large. more complex than ever before.

The solution is to be flexible about which particular standard is used, says Tom Patterson, lead security technology expert at Accenture. That will allow businesses to meet vendors and partners who may be using a different encryption standard or still rely on legacy encryption. It will also allow businesses to transition to new, better, or more efficient standards that may come in the future.

These three levels aren’t the last we’ll see when it comes to secure quantum encryption, Patterson said. “There will be, over the next few years, a series of different algorithms that will be available and standardized,” he says.


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