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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsBusinesses should begin preparing for post-quantum cryptography (PQC) now: identify where public-key cryptography is used, prioritize systems and data by risk, and plan staged migrations with technology suppliers. NIST’s first three PQC standards are final and ready to implement; its 2035 transition marker concerns NIST standards, not a universal legal deadline for private companies.
What is post-quantum cryptography?
Post-quantum cryptography refers to cryptographic methods designed to resist attacks from both classical and quantum computers. It addresses a future risk to some public-key cryptography used to establish shared secrets and authenticate people, software, and data.
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A cryptographically relevant quantum computer capable of breaking today’s widely used public-key cryptography has no established arrival date. That uncertainty is not a reason to wait: replacing cryptography across products, protocols, and information systems takes planning and coordination.
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Yes. NIST approved its initial three PQC standards on August 13, 2024, and says they are ready to implement. They have different functions, so they are not interchangeable encryption algorithms.
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| Standard | Role | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| FIPS 203, ML-KEM | Key establishment | A module-lattice-based key-encapsulation mechanism used to establish a shared secret between parties. |
| FIPS 204, ML-DSA | Digital signatures | A module-lattice-based signature standard for authenticating signers and helping detect unauthorized changes. |
| FIPS 205, SLH-DSA | Digital signatures | A stateless hash-based signature standard for authenticating signers and helping detect unauthorized changes. |
NIST continues to evaluate additional algorithms and standardization work. Those efforts should be distinguished from the three finalized FIPS standards; a candidate or algorithm under evaluation is not the same as a finalized standard.
Why migrate before a cryptographically relevant quantum computer exists?
Some information must remain confidential for many years. An adversary could collect encrypted data now and attempt to decrypt it later if future capabilities make that possible—a risk commonly called “harvest now, decrypt later.” Organizations should therefore consider how long sensitive data needs protection, not only whether it is exposed today.
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NIST says moving from standardization to full integration in information systems can take 10 to 20 years. That is a general integration timescale, not a forecast for any particular company or a guarantee that every migration will take that long. NIST’s transition plan says quantum-vulnerable algorithms will be deprecated and ultimately removed from NIST standards by 2035, with high-risk systems transitioning earlier. The 2035 marker is about NIST standards; it is not, by itself, a universal private-sector compliance deadline.
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Approach migration as a program of discovery, prioritization, supplier coordination, and testing—not as a one-time algorithm swap.
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Build a cryptographic inventory
Identify where cryptography appears across applications, services, systems, devices, data flows, protocols, certificates, and supplier products. Record the algorithm, its purpose and context, the system owner, and relevant dependencies. Do not record secret key material. NIST’s migration guidance emphasizes that organizations cannot effectively prioritize or migrate cryptography they have not identified.
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Prioritize systems and data by exposure
Assess how sensitive the data is and how long it must remain confidential, how critical the system is, which external parties it depends on, and the likely cost and lead time of change. Give particular attention to long-lived confidential information that could face harvest-now-decrypt-later exposure.
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Ask vendors and service providers for specific plans
Ask where their products and services use quantum-vulnerable cryptography, what PQC support is available or planned, how they handle standards versions, and what interoperability or performance limitations apply. Include providers of protocols and infrastructure: NIST notes that products, services, and protocols will need updates.
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Plan staged migration and operational testing
Map dependencies before changing a system. Test interoperability with counterparties and the operational impact of proposed changes, then sequence deployments and define rollback plans. NIST’s migration work includes cryptographic visibility as well as interoperability and benchmarking; treat those as program requirements, not optional polish.
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Build crypto agility into governance and technology
Crypto agility is the ability to replace or adapt cryptographic algorithms while preserving security and ongoing operations. Plan for that flexibility across protocols, applications, software, hardware, firmware, and infrastructure. NIST’s guidance surveys approaches, challenges, and trade-offs; it does not prescribe one architecture that fits every organization.
How should you compare migration options?
Use the same decision criteria for internal designs and supplier proposals. The right choice depends on function, standards status, compatibility, operational impact, and risk—not on a claim that one algorithm is universally best.
- Function: Determine whether the need is key establishment, for which ML-KEM is standardized, or digital signatures, for which ML-DSA and SLH-DSA are standardized.
- Standards status: Confirm whether the proposed algorithm is one of the finalized FIPS standards or part of additional work still under evaluation.
- Compatibility: Check support across counterparties, protocols, products, and any standards your organization must meet.
- Operational impact: Evaluate system changes, performance and resource requirements, deployment and rollback needs, and effects on established workflows.
- Risk and sequencing: Weigh confidentiality lifetime, system criticality, supplier readiness, and practical migration lead time.
NIST mathematician Dustin Moody, who heads its PQC standardization project, said: “We encourage organizations to begin their transition to these standards immediately to ensure their data remains secure in the quantum era,” in NIST’s What Is Post-Quantum Cryptography?
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