PQC is short for post-quantum cryptography. Investments in the development of quantum computers are accelerating, and this has major consequences for the security of our digital communications.
These new algorithms are grouped under the term post-quantum cryptography. They are designed to be secure against traditional supercomputers as well as against future quantum computers.
Current cryptographic systems, such as RSA or ECC, are based on mathematical problems that are extremely difficult to solve for classical computers. But a powerful enough quantum computer could “break” these systems in a matter of hours or days, an impossible feat for today’s traditional machines. This is known as the quantum threat.
In theory, an attacker could simply collect encrypted communications today, wait a few years until more advanced quantum machines are developed, and decrypt all that data at once. This is called a “harvest now, decrypt later” attack. To prevent this scenario, the scientific community has been working for years on new cryptographic algorithms that are resistant to quantum computers. These new algorithms are grouped under the term post-quantum cryptography. They are designed to be secure against traditional supercomputers as well as against future quantum computers.
Since 2016, NIST has been leading a large-scale process to evaluate and select post-quantum cryptography standards. After years of analysis, tests and competitions, several algorithms have been selected as potential replacements for current standards. Companies, governments and even individuals will need to gradually migrate to these new standards to maintain the security of their digital communications. This transition will require time, software updates and deep changes in many infrastructures but it is essential to prepare for a future in which quantum computers will become a reality.
