Signal NIST finalized post-quantum standards in 2024 with lattice algorithms as the primary foundation

Summary

The report describes how lattice-based cryptography gained a common foundation through formal standardization. The US National Institute of Standards and Technology spent two years assessing rival approaches to post-quantum encryption. It finalized its standards in 2024, choosing lattice-based algorithms as the primary foundation. That decision gave the whole industry a vetted blueprint to build on. The International Organization for Standardization and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute then aligned behind the same lattice foundation. With standards settled, governments and companies began setting deadlines for moving to quantum-safe systems.