Understanding PQC and the Need for It

Post-Quantum Cryptography, or PQC, refers to a new generation of cryptographic algorithms designed to withstand attacks from quantum computers.

Before we figure out what makes PQC the need of the hour in the world of information security, let's understand what quantum computers are and what exactly makes them a threat.

Quantum computers are an emerging computing system that use quantum mechanics principles like superposition and entanglement to process information. While classical computers use bits, which are strictly binary, quantum computers use qubits, which can exist in a superposition of 0 and 1 at the same time and hence, process several possibilities in parallel.

To simplify, a classical bit is like a coin lying flat on a table, so it's either heads or tails at one time, while a qubit is like a spinning coin, in a state of heads and tails simultaneously, depending on how you look at it.

Qubits allows quantum computers to solve problems exponentially faster, which includes breaking through the mathematical foundations of today's encryption standards, like RSA and ECC. Once powerful quantum computers exist, they could break most of the encryption that secures digital communication, financial systems, and sensitive data.

Now, here's the catch: quantum computers don't have to wait to 'exist' before they become a threat owing to the concept of 'harvest now, decrypt later'. This means that attackers can collect and store encrypted data today, even if they can’t break it yet. Once powerful quantum computers exist, the attackers will use them to break current encryption and read all this collected data.

This is why PQC and the quantum readiness of your cryptographic assets is urgent, and must be adopted before quantum computers are fully here.

PQC replaces today's vulnerable encryption algorithms with quantum-resistant ones. Adopting PQC ensures that data encrypted today remains secure in the future, protecting organizations from the 'harvest now, decrypt later' threat.