The US Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). finalized the main set of encryption algorithms that are designed to withstand cyber-attacks by quantum computers.
Researchers around the world are trying to build quantum computers that will work in radically different ways than ordinary computers and could break the current encryption that provides security and privacy to almost everything we do online. The algorithms announced today are specified in the first comprehensive standards of NIST's Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standardization project and are ready for immediate use.
The three new models are built for the future. Quantum computing technology is developing rapidly, and some experts predict that a device capable of breaking all current encryption methods could appear within a decade, threatening the security and privacy of individuals, organizations and entire nations.
The standards he provided the NIST, contain the computer code of the encryption algorithms, instructions on how to implement it, and its intended uses. It is the result of an eight-year effort managed by NIST, which has a long history in cryptographic development.
The organization brought together cryptography experts from around the world to conceive, submit, and then evaluate cryptographic algorithms that could withstand quantum computer attacks. The nascent technology could revolutionize fields ranging from weather forecasting to fundamental physics to drug design, but it also poses threats.
"Quantum computing technology could become a force for solving many of our society's most intractable problems, and the new standards represent NIST's commitment to ensuring that our security is not compromised," said NIST Director Laurie E. Locascio. "These standards are at the heart of NIST's efforts to protect our confidential electronic information."
