Quantum-safe Cryptography
Quantum Attack
Quantum computing introduces a credible, long-term threat to today's public-key encryption—especially RSA and elliptic-curve cryptography (ECC), which underpin many secure communication systems. A key driver is Shor's Algorithm (1994), which showed that sufficiently powerful quantum computers could factor large numbers and solve discrete logarithms dramatically faster than classical methods.
If large-scale, fault-tolerant cryptographically relevant quantum computers (CRQCs) become practical, they could compromise RSA and ECC, weakening the security foundations of modern digital trust.
Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)
The industry response is post‑quantum cryptography (PQC): new, quantum‑resistant algorithms designed to remain secure even in the presence of CRQCs. This transition is already underway across government and enterprise security programs.
In the United States, NIST has led global PQC standardization efforts since 2016, establishing a rigorous, widely adopted path to quantum‑safe cryptography. Our IronCAP™ Engine supports NIST‑endorsed PQC algorithms—plus additional quantum‑resistant options—to help organizations modernize encryption with confidence.