Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)
NIST Standards 2024
Quantum computers capable of large-scale operation would break current public-key cryptography (RSA, ECC) using Shor's algorithm, rendering encrypted communications retrospectively vulnerable. Post-quantum cryptography refers to cryptographic algorithms designed to be secure against attacks from quantum computers. In August 2024, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released the first three finalised PQC standards: FIPS 203 (ML-KEM, based on CRYSTALS-KYBER for key encapsulation), FIPS 204 (ML-DSA, based on CRYSTALS-Dilithium for digital signatures), and FIPS 205 (SLH-DSA, based on SPHINCS+ for hash-based signatures).
- The "harvest now, decrypt later" threat: adversaries collect encrypted data today to decrypt once quantum computers mature
- India's quantum-safe roadmap: critical sectors required to adopt PQC by 2027, full nationwide adoption targeted by 2033
- TRAI is the statutory regulator under the TRAI Act, 1997; it issues recommendations to the government on telecom policy
- Telecommunications Engineering Centre (TEC) under DoT is responsible for telecom standardisation in India
● Tracked since March 11, 2026 · last seen June 11, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes