What is post-quantum cryptography?
It is cryptography designed to protect data and communications against attacks from quantum computers. These algorithms run on conventional devices.
Quantum-Safe Security
Post-Quantum Cryptography for Kiky Office
Learn how post-quantum algorithms are designed to protect data against attacks from future quantum computers.
What is Post-Quantum Cryptography?
Post-quantum cryptography is a set of algorithms that run on conventional computers and are designed to resist attacks from quantum computers. It is different from quantum cryptography, which uses quantum-physics phenomena.
Traditional Cryptography (RSA, ECC)
RSA and ECC are used in today's public-key systems. A cryptographically relevant quantum computer running Shor's algorithm could threaten them.
Quantum Computers
Machines based on quantum mechanics. They may offer advantages for specific problems, but they are not simply faster at every kind of computation.
Post-Quantum Algorithms
Algorithms based on mathematical problems believed to be hard for conventional and quantum computers; security also depends on implementation.
Harvest Now, Decrypt Later Threat
“Harvest now, decrypt later” describes a scenario in which an attacker stores certain encrypted data today and tries to decrypt it in the future if quantum computers capable of threatening public-key cryptography become viable.
How This Attack Works:
- 1
An attacker captures encrypted data whose confidentiality may still matter years from now
- 2
They keep the data until future advances might make an attempt to decrypt it viable
- 3
If capable hardware exists, they try to apply Shor's algorithm to public-key systems such as RSA or ECC
- 4
Exposure depends on the algorithms and keys used to protect each stored item of data
Critical: The risk depends on the data's value and required confidentiality period. Cryptographically relevant quantum computers remain uncertain, but information that must stay secret for years deserves careful planning.
Our Solution: Hybrid Protection
Kiky Office Premium uses a hybrid approach that combines traditional and post-quantum algorithms to protect synchronized data.
Hybrid Encryption
Combines traditional (AES-256) and post-quantum (Kyber) algorithms for dual protection
End-to-End
Data encrypted on your device and only decrypted on destination device
NIST post-quantum cryptography standards
Explore ML-KEM (FIPS 203), ML-DSA (FIPS 204), and SLH-DSA (FIPS 205), published by NIST in 2024.
Preparing for future threats
Post-quantum algorithms are designed to withstand specified quantum attacks; protection also depends on implementation and maintenance.
Technical Details
Algorithms Used
- Kyber: A key encapsulation mechanism (KEM); the CRYSTALS-Kyber submission was the basis for the ML-KEM standard (FIPS 203)
- Dilithium: A digital signature scheme; the CRYSTALS-Dilithium submission was the basis for ML-DSA (FIPS 204)
- AES-256-GCM: Symmetric encryption for data protection
Implementation
We use a hybrid approach that combines the security of traditional and post-quantum algorithms:
// Encryption example
Kyber-1024 + AES-256-GCM
→ Key exchange via Kyber-1024
→ Data encryption via AES-256-GCM
Standards and Compliance
NIST published ML-KEM (FIPS 203), derived from the CRYSTALS-Kyber submission; ML-DSA (FIPS 204), derived from CRYSTALS-Dilithium; and SLH-DSA (FIPS 205). A published standard does not automatically certify a software implementation.
Post-quantum cryptography questions
Is post-quantum cryptography the same as quantum cryptography?
No. Post-quantum cryptography uses mathematical problems to resist quantum attacks and works on today's computers. Quantum cryptography uses quantum-physics phenomena for communication tasks.
Which post-quantum standards has NIST published?
In 2024, NIST published ML-KEM (FIPS 203), ML-DSA (FIPS 204), and SLH-DSA (FIPS 205) for key establishment and digital signatures.
What does “harvest now, decrypt later” mean?
It describes storing encrypted data now and attempting to decrypt it in the future if technology makes that attack viable. The risk is more relevant to information that must remain confidential for many years.
Technical references
Read the standards and explanations published by NIST:
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