A year ago today, the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) published the first ever official standard for post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms. The standard was a result of a 2022 memorandum from the Biden administration that requires federal agencies to transition to PQC-based security by 2035. Cryptography relies on math problems that are nearly impossible to solve, but easy to check if a solution is correct. Armed with such math problems, only the holder of a secret key can check their solution and get access to the secret data. Today, most online cryptography relies on one of two such algorithms: either RSA or elliptic curve cryptography. The cause for concern is that quantum computers, if a large enough one is ever built, would make easy work of the “hard” problems underlying current cryptographic methods. Luckily, there are other math problems that appear to be equally hard for quantum computers and their existing classical counterparts. That’s the basis of post-quantum cryptography: cryptography that’s secure against hypothetical quantum computers. With the mathematics behind PQC ironed out, and standards in hand, the work of adoption is now underway. This is no easy feat: every computer, laptop, smartphone, self-driving car, or IoT device will have to fundamentally change the way they run cryptography.=

Full report : Is the World Adopting Post-Quantum Cryptography Fast Enough?