NIST finalizes trio of post-quantum encryption standards

NIST released its first post-quantum cryptography standards, finalizing three algorithms—ML-KEM (CRYSTALS‑Kyber) for key exchange and ML-DSA (CRYSTALS‑Dilithium) plus SLH-DSA (Sphincs+) for digital signatures—with FN-DSA (FALCON) slated for finalization later. The agency urges organizations to begin migration now to mitigate “harvest-now, decrypt-later” risks as adversaries invest in quantum capabilities, and continues evaluating backup algorithms, with selections expected by end of 2024; industry leaders like IBM hailed the move as a major step toward a quantum-safe future.