What is Post-Quantum Cryptography?

 

🔐 What is Post-Quantum Cryptography?

Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) is the development of cryptographic systems that are secure against the power of quantum computers. These future computers could break many of the encryption systems we use today (like RSA or ECC).

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🧠 Why Do We Need PQC?

Quantum computers can solve certain math problems much faster than classical computers. For example:

• RSA and ECC, widely used for secure communication, can be broken by quantum computers using Shor’s Algorithm.

• This means emails, banking, and private data could be exposed when quantum computers become practical.

Even if quantum computers aren’t widely available today, attackers could steal encrypted data now and decrypt it in the future (this is called Harvest Now, Decrypt Later).

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🔒 Examples of PQC Algorithms

Some of the leading quantum-resistant algorithms include:

Algorithm	Purpose	Developed for
Kyber	Key Encapsulation	Encryption
Dilithium	Digital Signatures	Authentication
Falcon	Digital Signatures	Authentication
SPHINCS+	Hash-based Signatures	Long-term safety

These were chosen by NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) after global testing.

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🛡️ Where is PQC Used?

Post-Quantum Cryptography will protect:

• Websites (TLS/SSL)

• Emails and messages

• Government and military data

• IoT devices (smart devices)

• Cloud services and VPNs

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✅ Summary

Feature	Traditional Crypto	Post-Quantum Crypto
Safe from Quantum?	❌ No	✅ Yes
Currently Used Widely?	✅ Yes	⚠️ Still growing
Based on Hard Math?	✅ Yes	✅ Different math