The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is pushing to accelerate adoption of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) across critical sectors as major technology companies implement NIST standards at scale, agency Director Arvind Raman said on Sept. 25.
Speaking at the Quantum World Congress, Raman said the effort is a top priority for NIST and aligns with White House directives aimed at advancing quantum innovation and protecting against emerging quantum-enabled cybersecurity threats.
“NIST-based PQC standards are being implemented at scale as we speak,” Raman said, pointing to adoption by major technology companies including Apple, Google, IBM, and Amazon.
Google employs the ML-KEM cryptography protocol in Chrome, while IBM and Amazon have implemented PQC protections across portions of their infrastructure and cloud offerings, Raman said.
ML-KEM is a NIST PQC standard designed to secure data exchanges against future attacks from quantum computers. It is among the first three post-quantum cryptography standards NIST finalized in August 2024.
NIST is also “working really hard towards scaling the adoption across all critical sectors of PQC,” Raman said.
That work includes collaboration through NIST’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, where Raman said 60 companies are participating in efforts to advance adoption.
Beyond cybersecurity, Raman outlined NIST’s work on quantum networking and manufacturing – areas the agency views as necessary to build a broader quantum technology ecosystem and move emerging technologies from laboratory demonstrations toward scalable systems.
The agency has made progress on single-photon detectors while also developing transducers and repeaters – components Raman called “absolutely essential” to functioning quantum networks.
NIST is also working on low-loss, atomic-grade circuits using integrated photonics to move quantum systems from tabletop prototypes onto chips. The agency is testing some of those technologies through the DC Quantum Net test bed in the Washington metropolitan area.
Raman said manufacturing capabilities will also need to advance quickly enough to support the transition of quantum technologies from research into commercial use.
NIST’s Quantum Manufacturing Engineering Center (QMEC), a public-private collaboration with SRI International and industry partners, is working to shorten development timelines for critical quantum components, he said.
Raman said partnerships with the private sector and academia will remain central to NIST’s efforts to move quantum technologies into wider deployment.
“None of these big objectives and goals are going to be possible without partnerships,” Raman said. “NIST is all about partnerships – partnerships with industry, partnerships with academia.”