Content area

Full text

Abstract. Quantum computing poses a significant threat to conventional cryptographic systems that rely on the difficulty of mathematical problems such as integer factorization and discrete logarithms. These systems underpin much of the current security infrastructure, including public key cryptography and digital signatures. As quantum computers approach practical viability, there is an urgent need to transition to quantum-resistant cryptographic solutions that can secure digital communications against adversaries equipped with quantum capabilities. This paper explores the landscape of quantumresistant cryptography, focusing on those algorithms that have emerged either as standards or as leading algorithm. Furthermore, the paper examines the progress of standardization efforts, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) initiative, and the implications of deploying these algorithms in existing systems. By addressing the practical considerations for adoption, this study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state and future directions of quantum-resistant cryptography, ensuring robust security in a post-quantum world.

Keywords: Quantum computing, NIST, Cryptography

1. Introduction

Cyber warfare includes both offensive and defensive elements. A growing concern is the offensive potential for quantum computers to breach currently used cryptographic algorithms. Quantum computing has made substantial advances in the past 10 years. In 2022, IBM announced their Osprey processor with 433 qubits. IBM Condor processor released in 2024 has 1,121 qubits (Puthussery & Poonia, 2024). Atom computing has reached 1180 qubits (Russell, 2023). These facts demonstrate the rapidly increasing pace of quantum computing development. However, the United States is not the only nation pushing forward with quantum computing advances. The JiuZhang has been China's foremost quantum processor. It utilizes photons as qubits. The JiuZhang 3 has 255 qubits (Swayne, 2023). However, China has also been making advances with superconducting qubits. China also announced in October of 2024 that they had used quantum annealing to factor a 50-bit integer. As RSA typically uses 2048 or 4096 bit keys, this is not an immediate danger (McCann, 2024). However, this advance highlights the coming danger of quantum computing.

Advances in quantum computing promise improvements across a number of computing tasks. Grover's algorithm provides a substantial improvement in searching unordered lists over classical computing approaches. Grover's algorithm also promises substantial improvements in processing and analyzing large datasets (Khanal, et al., 2021). Quantum...

Show less