Handy PQC reference from a credible source - NIST's guide to transitioning to post-quantum cryptography

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently released a document titled Transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography Standards. While concise, this publication is incredibly insightful, serving as a practical reference for understanding the fundamentals of cryptography and the role of Post Quantum Cryptgorpahyc algorithms.

• The document outlines essential cryptographic concepts, such as digital signatures, key establishment, symmetric cryptography, security strength, hybrid schemes and more—all presented in clear, accessible language. Havingthese fundamental terms and definitions consolidated in one place makes it a valuable resource, especially for professionals seeking to ground their knowledge in the basics.

• The document offers an overview of real-world use cases, a particularly useful addition given that many professionals have only a limited understanding of how cryptography is applied across different scenarios. Unfortunately, this part is far from exhaustive, and there's still significant work ahead to address all use cases fully.

• The document references other NIST publications and offers a concise summary of relevant materials. Thisincludes a clear migration timeline for the adoption and eventual deprecation of cryptographic schemes. Majormilestones in the timeline are the planned deprecation of asymmetric cryptographic schemes by 2030, followed by their complete disallowance by 2035. The document also clarifies terms like "deprecated" and "disallowed," ensuring readers understand the implications of these transitions.

For anyone involved in cryptographic planning or cybersecurity strategy, this resource should be bookmarked as a go-to handbook for future discussions.

Access the full document here: NIST.IR.8547.ipd.pdf