(November 12, 2024) The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released an initial public draft report on transitioning to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standards. This report describes NIST’s expected approach to transitioning from quantum-vulnerable cryptographic algorithms to post-quantum digital signature algorithms and key-establishment schemes. It identifies existing quantum-vulnerable cryptographic standards and the current quantum-resistant standards that will be used in the migration. The report also provides dates for the deprecating and disallowing of several algorithms currently used for digital signatures and key establishment. This report should inform the efforts and timelines of federal agencies, industry, and standards organizations for migrating information technology products, services, and infrastructure to PQC.

(August 13, 2024) The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has finalized its principal set of encryption algorithms designed to withstand cyberattacks from a quantum computer. Researchers around the world are racing to build quantum computers that would operate in radically different ways from ordinary computers and could break the current encryption that provides security and privacy for just about everything we do online. To defend against this vulnerability, the recently announced algorithms are specified in the first completed standards from NIST’s post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standardization project and are ready for immediate use. These post-quantum encryption standards secure a wide range of electronic information, from confidential email messages to e-commerce transactions that propel the modern economy. NIST is encouraging computer system administrators to begin transitioning to the new standards as soon as possible.

(September 13, 2023) Last year, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) selected four algorithms designed to withstand attack by quantum computers. Now the agency has begun the process of standardizing these algorithms — the final step before making these mathematical tools available so that organizations around the world can integrate them into their encryption infrastructure.

(October 19, 2022) The National Security Agency (NSA) released the “Commercial National Security Algorithm Suite 2.0” (CNSA 2.0) Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) today to notify National Security Systems (NSS) owners, operators and vendors of the future quantum-resistant (QR) algorithms requirements for NSS — networks that contain classified information or are otherwise critical to military and intelligence activities.

(October 27, 2021) Quantum computing algorithms seek to use quantum phenomena to perform certain types of calculations much more efficiently than today’s classical, binary, transistor-based computers can. If and when a powerful enough quantum computer is built, it could run algorithms that would break many of the encryption codes we use to protect our data. In this interview with Taking Measure, Matt Scholl, chief of the Computer Security Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), discusses how worried we should be about this and what’s being done to mitigate the danger a future quantum computer poses to our data. See the full discussion here.

(August 04, 2021)  The National Security Agency (NSA) released a frequently asked questions document on Quantum Computing and Post-Quantum Cryptography. The document answers several questions such as “What is a quantum computer?” and “What makes one cryptographically relevant?” Further information is provided on the Commercial National Security Algorithm (CNSA) Suite, the Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) Program, the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP), and future algorithms and cryptography.

(June 29, 2021) The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has released a new draft project description, Migration to Post-Quantum Cryptography. Publication of this project description begins a process to further identify project requirements, scope, and hardware and software components for use in a laboratory environment.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has released the final version of the NIST Cybersecurity White Paper, Getting Ready for Post-Quantum Cryptography: Exploring Challenges Associated with Adopting and Using Post-Quantum Cryptographic Algorithms.

I consider myself a quiet guy — on a Friday night you can usually find me at home doing crossword puzzles. Public speaking doesn’t come naturally to me, and I’ve never really liked it. Like many people, I get really nervous. So, how did I find myself standing at a podium in front of hundreds of people in Fukuoka, Japan?