Classical public-key cryptographic algorithms like the RSA algorithm and Diffie-Hellman are used to secure internet communications. However, the emergence of quantum computers poses a significant threat to these established algorithms, potentially leading to security breaches and malicious attacks. If quantum computers can break these algorithms, the entire security infrastructure of the internet could be compromised. Post- quantum cryptography (PQC) is a cryptographic area dedicated to developing new encryption and key exchange mechanisms that can resist quantum attacks. Its goal is to create quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms, with NIST playing a central role in standardization and collaboration to ensure information security in the era of quantum computing. This study conducts a survey of Key Encapsulation Mechanism (KEM) algorithms within the field of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), along with their alternative counterparts. It provides a comprehensive analysis of performance metrics, including key sizes, execution times, and runtime performance, specifically focusing on Key Encapsulation Mechanism (KEM) algorithms.
Classical public-key cryptographic algorithms like the RSA algorithm and Diffie-Hellman are used to secure internet communications. However, the emergence of quantum computers poses a significant threat to these established algorithms, potentially leading to security breaches and malicious attacks. If quantum computers can break these algorithms, the entire security infrastructure of the internet could be compromised. Post- quantum cryptography (PQC) is a cryptographic area dedicated to developing new encryption and key exchange mechanisms that can resist quantum attacks. Its goal is to create quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms, with NIST playing a central role in standardization and collaboration to ensure information security in the era of quantum computing. This study conducts a survey of Key Encapsulation Mechanism (KEM) algorithms within the field of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), along with their alternative counterparts. It provides a comprehensive analysis of performance metrics, including key sizes, execution times, and runtime performance, specifically focusing on Key Encapsulation Mechanism (KEM) algorithms.
The threats are existential to the traditional cryptosystems of public keys, including RSA, Diffie-Hellman, and elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), due to the rapid progress in quantum computing. Such algorithms as the Shor and Grover algorithms prove that as soon as large scale quantum computers are achieved, these classical cryptographic protocols will not provide any privacy and integrity to online communication. This has created an emergency to find post-quantum cryptography (PQC), or quantum-safe cryptography, which will resist attacks by both classical and quantum attackers. The paper is a review of the latest research and development in post-quantum cryptographic algorithms and their implementation in current security systems. We organize quantum-safe methods into significant organizations such as lattice-based, hash-based, multivariate polynomial-based and code-based encrypted communications. Each type has been evaluated critically based on computational efficiency, key sizes, speed of encryption/decryption and security proofs. The survey also examines the current standardization activities happening in the world and especially the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) PQC competition, which lists candidate algorithms that have advanced to standard adoption. Besides this, the paper addresses hybrid cryptographic designs that use both classical and post-quantum bases in ensuring a seamless migration in the transition phase. Internet security protocols like TLS, VPNs and blockchain consensus as applications of PQC are examined in detail. Lastly, we pinpoint open research issues, which include creating lightweight PQC to support resource-constrained IoT devices, balancing performance and strong security assurances, and interoperability between the new PQC algorithms and existing infrastructures. Through detailed survey we inform the future of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers on the preparation of the post-quantum era of secure digital communications.
Abstract It is viewed as revolutionary technology, offering incredible potential in terms of computing power within different scientific and industrial sectors. Quantum computers provide remarkable computing power; however, they also present significant security risks to existing public-key cryptography systems used to secure digital communication, online banking systems, government, medical applications, cloud computing systems, and IoT systems. Security of commonly used encryption schemes like RSA, DH, and ECC depends on mathematical problems that are impossible for classical computers to solve but can be easily resolved with the help of powerful enough quantum computers by using Shor’s algorithm. Furthermore, Grover’s algorithm makes exhaustive search attacks much faster, thus effectively lowering the security level of symmetric encryption schemes since it provides the speed-up for brute-force attacks. Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) turned out to be an effective and scalable method to protect digital data from attacks using quantum computing. In contrast to quantum cryptography, which requires a special quantum communication channel, PQC uses classical cryptographic algorithms that cannot be broken down by either classical or quantum computer due to certain mathematical problems. This research paper offers an extensive exploration of post-quantum cryptography through the analysis of the development of quantum computing, weaknesses of current cryptographic techniques, and mathematics behind quantum-resistant algorithms. Moreover, this paper explores the major classes of PQC techniques such as lattice-based, code-based, hash-based, multivariate, and isogeny-based cryptography and provides details about their security and application. Moreover, the report gives an overview of the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Project and analyzes recent standardizations of quantum-proof algorithms to be utilized in future digital infrastructures. Keywords: Post-Quantum Encryption, Quantum Security, Quantum-Proof Public-Key Cryptography, Lattice-Based Security Protocols, ML-KEM Key Encapsulation Mechanism, ML-DSA Digital Signature Algorithm, NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography, Contemporary Cybersecurity, Secure Communications, Cryptographic Algorithms.
The advent of quantum computing poses a significant threat to current cryptographic systems, particularly public-key algorithms such as RSA and ECC, which are vulnerable to quantum attacks like Shor's algorithm. Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) aims to develop and standardize quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms to secure digital communications in the quantum era. This paper examines the current landscape of PQC, focusing on the evaluation and standardization efforts led by organizations such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). We analyze the major families of quantum-resistant algorithms, including lattice-based, hash-based, code-based, multivariate, and isogeny-based cryptography, discussing their security guarantees, performance trade-offs, and implementation challenges. Furthermore, we review NIST's PQC standardization process, highlighting selected finalists and alternate candidates, and explore the ongoing transition challenges in adopting these algorithms across industries. Finally, we discuss future directions for PQC research, including hybrid cryptographic systems and the need for continued cryptanalysis to ensure long-term security. This work provides a comprehensive overview of the progress and challenges in deploying quantum-resistant cryptography to safeguard against emerging quantum threats.
The advent of quantum computing poses a significant threat to the foundational cryptographic algorithms that secure modern digital communications. [27]. Protocols such as HTTPS, digital certificates, and public key infrastructures (PKIs) heavily rely on cryptographic primitives like RSA, ECC, and Diffie-Hellman, which are vulnerable to quantum attacks—most notably Shor’s algorithm. [18]. This paper presents a comprehensive comparative analysis between classical cryptographic algorithms currently in widespread use and emerging post-quantum cryptographic schemes designed to withstand quantum adversaries. [24]. We review the cryptographic mechanisms underpinning modern internet security, outline the mathematical foundations of quantum attacks, and evaluate the security, performance, and implementation feasibility of quantum-resistant alternatives such as Kyber, Dilithium, and Falcon. [25]. Additionally, we assess the hybrid approaches currently being explored by institutions and tech companies to enable a smooth transition to post-quantum cryptography. [23]. By providing an in-depth comparison, this study aims to guide researchers, developers, and policymakers in understanding the critical implications of quantum computing on cryptographic infrastructures and the necessary steps for securing communications in the quantum era. [16].
The advent of quantum computing poses a significant challenge to conventional cryptographic methods such as RSA, Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), and Diffie-Hellman key exchange. Quantum algorithms, particularly Shor’s algorithm, have the potential to break these encryption techniques, making it essential to develop cryptographic approaches that can withstand quantum threats. Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) has emerged as a crucial area of research, aiming to establish cryptographic mechanisms that remain secure even in the presence of quantum adversaries. This study presents a detailed comparative analysis of five primary categories of quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms: lattice-based, code-based, hash-based, multivariate polynomial, and isogeny-based encryption schemes. Each of these approaches offers distinct advantages and challenges in terms of security, efficiency, and implementation feasibility. Among them, lattice-based cryptography has gained significant attention due to its robust security properties and computational efficiency, making it a strong candidate for standardization. Conversely, code-based cryptography provides high security but is hindered by its large key sizes, affecting its practical deployment. The research includes a real-time performance assessment of selected PQC algorithms, analyzing key factors such as encryption speed, key size, and computational demands. Furthermore, the study examines the challenges associated with transitioning from classical encryption standards to quantum-resistant frameworks, including compatibility constraints, computational overhead, and the necessity for global standardization. Potential mitigation approaches, such as hybrid cryptographic techniques that integrate both classical and post-quantum encryption models, are also explored. Our findings emphasize that while quantum-resistant cryptography is still evolving, early adoption of PQC frameworks is essential for safeguarding future communication networks. This paper provides valuable insights for researchers, cybersecurity professionals, and policymakers on strategic measures to implement quantum-secure encryption systems effectively.
Information security is a fundamental and urgent issue in the digital transformation era. Cryptographic techniques and digital signatures have been applied to protect and authenticate relevant information. However, with the advent of quantum computers and quantum algorithms, classical cryptographic techniques have been in danger of collapsing because quantum computers can solve complex problems in polynomial time. Stemming from that risk, researchers worldwide have stepped up research on post-quantum algorithms to resist attack by quantum computers. In this review paper, we survey studies in recent years on post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and provide statistics on the number and content of publications, including a literature overview, detailed explanations of the most common methods so far, current implementation status, implementation comparisons, and discussion on future work. These studies focused on essential public cryptography techniques and digital signature schemes, and the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) launched a competition to select the best candidate for the expected standard. Recent studies have practically implemented the public key encryption/key encapsulation mechanism (PKE/KEM) and digital signature schemes on different hardware platforms and applied various optimization measures based on other criteria. Along with the increasing number of scientific publications, the recent trend of PQC research is increasingly evident and is the general trend in the cryptography industry. The movement opens up a promising avenue for researchers in public key cryptography and digital signatures, especially on algorithms selected by NIST.