Post-Quantum Cryptography in the Age of Quantum Computing
Silvio Andrae · Advances in computational intelligence and robotics book series · 2025
The ongoing development of powerful quantum computers poses a significant threat to the security of conventional encryption methods such as Rivest Shamir Adleman (RSA) and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC). With algorithms such as Shor's Algorithm, quantum computers can solve the mathematical problems on which these methods are based and thus break them within a few hours. This work highlights this development's challenges and examines post-quantum cryptography (PQC) as a solution. PQC offers quantum-safe encryption based on mathematical problems that are difficult to solve, even for quantum computers. The text analyzes lattice, hash, and isogeny-based approaches and introduces the new NIST standards, including Kyber, Dilithium, and Sphinx+. It also discusses practical challenges in implementing quantum-safe systems, including performance degradation and cryptographic agility. It concludes with recommendations for migrating to PQC to ensure long-term security in an era increasingly characterized by quantum computing.