Quantum computing is a rapidly advancing research area which promises to solve various classically difficult problems, including various cryptographic schemes. Several experts predict that quantum computers will be capable of breaking currently used encryption schemes in a decade. To secure data in the post-quantum future the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced the first completed standards for post-quantum cryptography protocols.
This article provides an introduction to quantum computers as well as an overview of post-quantum cryptography.
