CISA Publishes Product Categories for Post-Quantum Cryptography Standards

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has published a new resource titled "Product Categories for Technologies That Use Post-Quantum Cryptography Standards." This document is a foundational piece for the U.S. government's strategy to prepare for the cryptographic transition required to defend against future quantum computing threats.

Quantum computers, once sufficiently advanced, will be capable of breaking the public-key cryptography that secures virtually all digital communications and data today. This includes the RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) algorithms that underpin TLS/SSL, VPNs, digital signatures, and secure email. While large-scale quantum computers do not yet exist, the risk is considered long-term but severe, necessitating proactive migration to quantum-resistant algorithms.

CISA's new document addresses this by categorizing the types of products and systems that will need to be updated. The categories are designed to help vendors, government agencies, and private sector organizations understand the scope of the transition. The primary categories include:

1. Hardware Security Modules (HSMs): These are specialized devices that generate, store, and manage cryptographic keys. Upgrading HSMs is a priority, as they are the root of trust for many systems.
2. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI): This includes certificate authorities (CAs), registration authorities, and the entire ecosystem of digital certificates. The transition will require new certificate formats and validation methods.
3. Network Security Protocols: This covers the protocols that secure internet traffic, such as TLS (Transport Layer Security) and its predecessor SSL. The IETF is already working on standards for PQC in TLS.
4. Secure Email and Messaging: Systems like S/MIME and PGP will need updates to support quantum-resistant digital signatures and encryption.
5. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs): VPN protocols like IPsec and WireGuard rely on public-key cryptography for key exchange and will require modifications.
6. Code Signing: Software integrity verification, which relies on digital signatures, must be migrated to PQC algorithms to prevent tampering in a post-quantum world.
7. Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: Many blockchain systems use ECC for digital signatures. Their security models will need significant re-evaluation and updates.

The document is not a list of specific products but a framework for categorization. It aligns with the broader national initiative, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Project. NIST has already selected several PQC algorithms for standardization, including CRYSTALS-Kyber for key encapsulation and CRYSTALS-Dilithium for digital signatures.

For organizations, this CISA publication serves as a planning tool. It enables IT and security teams to inventory their technology stack against these categories. For example, a company using a specific brand of HSM for its PKI must now engage with that vendor to understand their PQC migration roadmap. Similarly, developers using cryptographic libraries need to ensure those libraries will support the new NIST standards.

The migration is complex and will take years, if not decades. It is not a simple software patch. Many PQC algorithms have larger key sizes and signature lengths, which can impact network bandwidth, storage, and performance on constrained devices. The transition must be managed carefully to avoid introducing new vulnerabilities or breaking existing systems.

CISA's publication is a call to action for the entire technology ecosystem. Vendors are encouraged to design PQC support into their products now. Government agencies are directed to begin planning their transitions, as mandated by various White House directives. Private sector organizations should start assessing their exposure and creating a migration strategy.

For more information and to access the full document, visit the CISA website: CISA - Product Categories for Technologies That Use Post-Quantum Cryptography Standards. For details on the underlying standards, refer to the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography project: NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography.