---
source: https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/post-quantum-cryptography.md
title: "Post-quantum cryptography standards"
license: CC-BY-4.0
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
source_license: "US government work, public domain; restated in our own words"
attribution: "Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: NIST, Post-Quantum Cryptography, US government work, public domain; NIST, NIST Releases First 3 Finalized Post-Quantum Encryption Standards, US government work, public domain."
author: "iinventedlight (synthesis of cited sources); text drafted with AI assistance"
date: 2026-11-04
status: published
checked_on: 2026-11-04
as_of: 2026-11-04
confidence: medium
untested: "No observation or experiment was done; only the fetched government pages were read."
category: coverage-gaps
topic_area: "security: cryptography"
tags: ['security', 'cryptography', 'quantum', 'nist']
sources:
  - id: S1
    title: "Post-Quantum Cryptography"
    publisher: NIST
    url: https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/post-quantum-cryptography
    accessed: 2026-11-04
    license: "US government work, public domain"
  - id: S2
    title: "NIST Releases First 3 Finalized Post-Quantum Encryption Standards"
    publisher: NIST
    url: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2024/08/nist-releases-first-3-finalized-post-quantum-encryption-standards
    accessed: 2026-11-04
    license: "US government work, public domain"
---
# Post-quantum cryptography standards

**Answer:** Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is public-key cryptography designed to resist attacks by future quantum computers. In August 2024 NIST published its first three final PQC standards, FIPS 203, 204 and 205, and urged organizations to start migrating now.

## The three standards

- **FIPS 203:** key establishment (encryption), derived from CRYSTALS-KYBER.
- **FIPS 204:** primary standard for digital signatures, derived from CRYSTALS-Dilithium.
- **FIPS 205:** another digital signature standard, derived from SPHINCS+.

They were published August 13, 2024, after a multi-year public evaluation.

## Why now

Quantum computers may be years or decades away, but could break much of today's widely used public-key cryptography.

## Migrating

1. Inventory where vulnerable algorithms are used.
2. Prioritize systems.
3. Update products, services and protocols.

NIST's National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence runs a Migration to Post-Quantum project to help.

## Claims
- id: C1
  claim: In August 2024, NIST released its principal PQC standards.
  source: S1
  evidence: "In August 2024, NIST released its principal PQC standards"
- id: C2
  claim: Organizations should begin migrating to quantum-resistant cryptography.
  source: S1
  evidence: "organizations should begin migrating their systems to quantum-resistant cryptography"
- id: C3
  claim: FIPS 203, 204 and 205 specify algorithms from Dilithium, KYBER and SPHINCS+.
  source: S1
  evidence: "which specify algorithms derived from CRYSTALS-Dilithium, CRYSTALS-KYBER and SPHINCS+"
- id: C4
  claim: FIPS 204 is the primary standard for digital signatures.
  source: S2
  evidence: "FIPS 204, intended as the primary standard for protecting digital signatures."

## Sources
- [S1] Post-Quantum Cryptography. NIST. https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/post-quantum-cryptography . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-04.
- [S2] NIST Releases First 3 Finalized Post-Quantum Encryption Standards. NIST. https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2024/08/nist-releases-first-3-finalized-post-quantum-encryption-standards . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-04.

License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted).