Cybersecurity Policy Report, NIST Seeks Input on Additional Post-Quantum Encryption Tools, (May 15, 2026)
Nine encryption tools that can resist being broken by a quantum computer have been selected by the National Institute of Standards and Technology for further testing.
“After 18 months of evaluation, NIST has selected nine candidates for the third round of the Additional Digital Signatures for the Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Standardization Process,” NIST said yesterday in a news release. “These third-round candidates will have the opportunity to submit updated specifications and implementations (i.e., ‘tweaks’).”
NIST previously approved three PQC standards for immediate use and set a 2035 deadline for federal agencies to begin using the encryption tools (CPR, Nov. 12, 2024).
Strong encryption is viewed as foundational to protecting data from hackers, but the development of quantum computers will render existing cryptography standards obsolete. Those standards are based on hard-to-solve math problems, but they won’t pose a challenge for quantum computers.
The nine standards being advanced by NIST were selected from a group of 14. NIST described the standards in a report that asks cryptography experts to test the standards. “Over the next several months, NIST invites the cryptographic community to evaluate these nine third-round signature candidates. With the number of candidates reduced, NIST hopes for feedback that supports or refutes the security claims of the submitters,” NIST said.
NIST wants a diverse group of PQC standards that use a variety of approaches, it said, and other considerations include the cost of implementation and the amount of computing power required.
News: FederalLegislation DataSecurity