Video companion
After RWPQC 2026: FIPS status, Falcon, HQC, and the 2035 timeline
RWPQC 2026 Session 5 features Dustin Moody and international partners on PQC standardization progress — including non-lattice backup algorithms and signature on-ramp rounds.
What the video gets right
The session confirms the foundation for most deployments:
- FIPS 203 (ML-KEM) — key encapsulation (formerly Kyber)
- FIPS 204 (ML-DSA) — lattice signatures (formerly Dilithium)
- FIPS 205 (SLH-DSA) — hash-based signatures (SPHINCS+)
Upcoming work includes HQC (non-lattice KEM backup), Falcon (FN-DSA), and the on-ramp signature competition for algorithm diversity. NIST IR 8547 distinguishes deprecation (2030) from disallowance (2035).
What it does not cover
Standards are necessary but not sufficient — you still need inventory, prioritization, and proof of remediation. Hybrid TLS (classical + PQC) is the near-term deployment pattern while authentication migration catches up.
This quarter
- Read the FIPS 203–205 executive summaries on NIST CSRC.
- Map current TLS cipher suites and certificate algorithms against ML-KEM hybrid targets.
- Track on-ramp signature candidates if your PKI depends heavily on short-lived ECDSA chains.
Continue on the Q-Day hub: ML-KEM migration guide
References & further reading
Authoritative primary sources cited in this article. Summaries are our own — follow links for full context.
Last verified 2026-06-21
- NIST PQC Standards Update: On-Ramp Signatures and Global Roadmaps (RWPQC 2026)RWPQC 2026 (YouTube) · 2026Dustin Moody on FIPS 203–205 status, Falcon/HQC, on-ramp signatures, and 2035 deprecation tiers.
- FIPS 203 — Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism (ML-KEM)NIST · 2024-08Standardized post-quantum key encapsulation (formerly Kyber).
- FIPS 204 — Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Standard (ML-DSA)NIST · 2024-08Standardized post-quantum digital signatures (formerly Dilithium).
- FIPS 205 — Stateless Hash-Based Digital Signature Standard (SLH-DSA)NIST · 2024-08Hash-based post-quantum signatures (SPHINCS+ family).
- NIST IR 8547: Transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography StandardsNIST · 2024Federal transition guidance with deprecation timelines for quantum-vulnerable algorithms.
See your exposure with evidence
Run a live PQC inventory scan, export a CBOM, and verify signed reports independently.