← Quantum Store · Guides · Lessons · Glossary · About · Türkçe
What is post-quantum cryptography?
Post-quantum cryptography means encryption algorithms that run on today’s classical computers and are believed to stay secure against large quantum computers.
On a large enough, error-corrected quantum computer, Shor’s algorithm could break RSA and elliptic-curve cryptography. Post-quantum cryptography answers this threat with algorithms based on new mathematical problems (for example lattice problems) that need no quantum hardware.
The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published its first standards in 2024: ML-KEM (Kyber) for key exchange, and ML-DSA (Dilithium) and SLH-DSA (SPHINCS+) for signatures. Unlike quantum key distribution, PQC can be deployed in software on existing networks.
Related packages
Related concepts
- Shor’s algorithm · Shor’s algorithm factors large numbers exponentially faster than known classical methods, which is why it threatens RSA encryption.
- Quantum key distribution (QKD, BB84) · Quantum key distribution lets two parties share a secret encryption key while detecting eavesdropping attempts thanks to the nature of quantum measurement.