Post-Quantum Cryptography
Post-Quantum Cryptography
A collective term for next-generation cryptographic methods designed to withstand attacks from quantum computers
In Simple Terms
Post-Quantum Cryptography refers to next-generation encryption technology designed to keep communications secure even after large-scale quantum computers with extraordinary computing power become a reality. Certain cryptographic methods widely used on the internet today are at risk of being broken by powerful quantum computers, which is why organizations around the world are urgently preparing to transition to this new form of cryptography.
Behind the Name
Post-Quantum Cryptography, often abbreviated as "PQC." "Post" means "after" or "beyond," "Quantum" refers to quantum mechanics, and "Cryptography" is the science of securing information through encoding. It describes cryptographic methods built to remain secure even against attacks from future large-scale quantum computers.
Take a Closer Look!
Post-Quantum Cryptography is a collective term for cryptographic methods designed to withstand attacks even from ultra-powerful quantum computers.
Today's internet encrypts and protects all kinds of sensitive data — from online shopping details to messages on your smartphone.
Widely used approaches like public-key cryptography are built on mathematical problems that take an extraordinarily long time to solve with conventional computers.
However, once powerful quantum computers become fully operational, they could potentially break certain types of these cryptographic methods in a fraction of the time.
If encryption is broken, there's a real risk that sensitive communications could be read by unauthorized parties.
That's why we need cryptography based on different kinds of mathematical problems — ones that remain extremely difficult to solve even for quantum computers.
That's exactly what Post-Quantum Cryptography is.
Experts around the world have been working to identify safe and practical methods, and NIST — the US national standards body — officially published the first Post-Quantum Cryptography standards.
Building on that milestone, work is now underway to standardize the remaining methods and to begin migrating systems worldwide to Post-Quantum Cryptography.