Post-Quantum Cryptography:
A task force constituted by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) recommended that India’s critical sectors begin phased adoption of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) to counter future quantum-computing threats.
- Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) sectors are expected to begin transition by 2027, migrate priority systems by 2028, and achieve full adoption by 2029.
- Modern digital security depends heavily on Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), which is based on mathematical problems that are extremely difficult for classical computers to solve.
- A powerful fault-tolerant quantum computer could use Shor’s Algorithm to break current encryption systems, posing serious risks to banking networks, government and military communications, digital authentication, and internet security.
- Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) seeks to develop cryptographic systems that remain secure against both Classical computers and Quantum computers.
- Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) also known as quantum-resistant cryptography, refers to cryptographic algorithms designed to remain secure even against attacks from powerful quantum computers.
- Unlike Quantum Cryptography (such as Quantum Key Distribution), PQC does not rely on quantum physics. Instead, it uses mathematical problems that are believed to be computationally infeasible even for quantum machines.
- Based on the difficulty of solving problems related to high-dimensional lattices, such as finding the shortest vector.
- Considered the most promising and widely adopted PQC approach.
- Offers flexibility for encryption, digital signatures, and key exchange.
- Relies on the difficulty of decoding random linear error-correcting codes.
- Known for strong security but often requires large key sizes.
- Based on the difficulty of solving systems of multivariate polynomial equations over finite fields.
- Primarily explored for digital signature schemes.
- Uses the security properties of cryptographic hash functions.
- Mainly applied for digital signatures.
- Considered highly secure and mathematically well understood.
