US Government Urges Federal Contractors to Strengthen Encryption

  • Department of Commerce to issue new cryptographic standards
  • Large banks already working to protect transaction data

Anne Neuberger 

Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg
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Companies working with the US government may be required to start protecting their data and technology from attacks by quantum computers as soon as July.

The National Institute for Standards and Technology, part of the Department of Commerce, will in July stipulate three types of encryption algorithms the agency deems sufficient for protecting data from quantum computers, setting an internationally-recognized standard aimed at helping organizations manage evolving cybersecurity threats.