U.S. quantum cryptography standards set for release next week

NIST’s flagship post-quantum cryptography guidance that would help protect against decryption capabilities enabled by quantum computers aimed for release the week of Aug. 12.

Scientific guidance meant to ensure the U.S. is ready to shore up cyber defenses against a potential quantum computers’ ability to break through modern encryption methods are set for release the week of Aug. 12, according to people familiar with the matter.

The development of the finalized post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standards are led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Commerce Department’s scientific standards bureau. NIST has finalized the guidance and is readying its release in the coming days, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the release timeline.

Today’s cryptographic systems rely on complex mathematical algorithms that are difficult for traditional computers to unravel. Future quantum computers could potentially ...