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NIST opens a public competition for encryption that resists quantum computers

Dec 20, 2016

The US National Institute of Standards and Technology formally calls for proposals for post-quantum cryptography: new encryption algorithms meant to stay secure even against future quantum computers. NIST asked cryptographers worldwide to submit candidates within a year.

Why it matters

A large quantum computer running Shor's algorithm could break widely used encryption. NIST set out to spend the next few years testing and recommending replacements before such machines arrive.

NIST

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Related

Source

  • NIST NIST Asks Public to Help Future-Proof Electronic Information
    Primary sourceDec 20, 2016
    “The Call for Proposals for Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization, announced today in the Federal Register, is NIST's first formal step toward countering the danger that quantum computers pose to the security of digital information.”

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