Security News > 2022 > July > NIST selects 4 quantum-resistant encryption algorithms

The four selected encryption algorithms will become part of NIST's post-quantum cryptographic standard, expected to be finalized in about two years.

To counter this threat, the four quantum-resistant algorithms rely on math problems that both conventional and quantum computers should have difficulty solving, thereby defending privacy both now and down the road. The quantum-resistant encryption algorithms are designed for two main tasks for which encryption is typically used: general encryption, used to protect information exchanged across a public network; and digital signatures, used for identity authentication.

The additional four algorithms still under consideration are designed for general encryption and do not use structured lattices or hash functions in their approaches.

The announcement follows a six-year effort managed by NIST, which in 2016 called upon the world's cryptographers to devise and then vet encryption methods that could resist an attack from a future quantum computer that is more powerful than the comparatively limited machines available today.

Four additional quantum-resistant encryption algorithms are under consideration for inclusion in the standard, and NIST plans to announce the finalists from that round at a future date.

While the standard is in development, NIST encourages security experts to explore the new algorithms and consider how their applications will use them, but not to bake them into their systems yet, as the algorithms could change slightly before the standard is finalized.

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https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/07/06/quantum-resistant-encryption/