NIST has announced the selection of the HQC (Hamming Quasi-Cyclic) algorithm as one of the standard algorithms for post-quantum cryptography, following the announcement of the first set of standards last year.
The reason for NIST’s choice of HQC is due to the algorithm’s utilization of error-correction codes, which differs from the structured lattices approach of ML-KEM that was previously certified. This makes HQC a good alternative to use as a backup in case ML-KEM is compromised in the future.
HQC has a longer key size compared to ML-KEM and requires higher processing resources, thus it is recommended as a contingency plan.
Currently, there are five options for post-quantum cryptography algorithms, with the first three being ML-KEM, ML-DSA, and SLH-DSA already announced as standards. As for FALCON, the fourth option, it will be announced soon.
Source: NIST
TLDR: NIST selects HQC algorithm as a standard option for post-quantum cryptography due to its error-correction codes, offering a reliable backup in case of future compromises.
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