The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has selected HQC as its fifth standard for post-quantum encryption, providing an additional layer of security to protect encrypted data against potential threats from future quantum computers.
HQC is not a replacement of NIST’s main encryption algorithm, the Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism (ML-KEM). Instead, it’s a backup defender, ready to step in if quantum computers – whenever they come to fruition – manage to crack ML-KEM down the road.
“As we advance our understanding of future quantum computers and adapt to emerging cryptanalysis techniques, it’s essential to have a fallback in case ML-KEM proves to be vulnerable,” Dustin Moody, who leads NIST’s post-quantum cryptography (PQC) project, said in a statement.
According to Moody, HQC was selected by reviewers as a backup due to its “clean and secure operation.” Additionally, he explained that HQC is a longer algorithm than ML-KEM and as a result, needs more computing resources.
NIST plans to issue a draft standard for HQC in roughly a year for public comment and expects to release a finalized standard by 2027.
Quantum computing is still in its early stages, with powerful computers years away, but NIST has spent years preparing for the day when they could crack current encryption methods.
Current encryption is nearly impenetrable for standard computers, but future quantum computers could easily break these algorithms, threatening global data security. NIST is currently finalizing PQC algorithms aimed at safeguarding against this very risk.
In August 2024, NIST released its first three finalized PQC algorithms, including ML-KEM and two additional algorithms for digital signatures, which are used for authenticating electronic messages like emails and credit card transactions.
But since the exact risks posed by a potential quantum computer remain largely unknown, one NIST official suggests that the best way to prepare for this uncertainty is through collaboration.
“Quantum computing is really unique in the fact that it presents the potential, huge potential relevance for our country, for our economy. But it also presents risks to our nation, not just our systems, but our infrastructure, our data. This is why it’s so important to work together to identify the risk,” Cherilyn Pascoe, director of NIST’s Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, said on March 11 during a Merlin Group event in Washington, D.C.
Pascoe further emphasized that as NIST continues to develop guidance for addressing the risks associated with quantum computers, open communication will be crucial.
“If you’re looking for more guidance, engage with us, engage with NIST,” she said. “There’s a significant amount of work to be done [and we] need for all of us to work together.”
