ISO adopts quantum-resistant encryption standard amid growing cyber threats

The International Organization for Standardization has formally adopted the Classic McEliece algorithm into its standard for asymmetric ciphers (ISO/IEC 18033-2), giving organizations across 177 member states a recognized framework for deploying quantum-resistant encryption. The standardization, announced this week by London-based Post-Quantum, marks one of the first globally recognized post-quantum cryptographic standards outside of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology's own program.afp+1

A 47-Year-Old Idea Meets a Modern Threat

Classic McEliece builds on a cryptosystem originally invented by Professor Robert McEliece in 1978, using error-correcting codes rather than the mathematical problems underpinning RSA and elliptic curve cryptography. Post-Quantum, founded in 2009 as the first company solely focused on post-quantum cryptography, has been a lead contributor to the algorithm's development and standardization effort. The ISO standardization follows demonstrations of Classic McEliece in quantum-safe communications, connected devices, and airborne drone systems.quantumzeitgeist+4

Accelerating Timelines

The move comes amid growing urgency around the quantum threat. In March 2026, Google Alphabet Inc. ↗ 4.44% set an internal deadline to migrate its entire infrastructure to post-quantum cryptography by 2029, citing faster-than-expected progress in quantum hardware. A separate Google Quantum AI white paper published the same month found that optimized implementations of Shor's algorithm could break widely used elliptic curve cryptography with fewer than 500,000 physical qubits — down from previous estimates of 20 million — completing the attack in minutes on a sufficiently advanced system. Cloudflare ↗ 1.35% subsequently matched Google's 2029 target for full post-quantum security.mindstudio+4

The compressed timelines have intensified concerns about "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks, in which adversaries stockpile encrypted data today for future decryption once quantum capabilities mature. A June 2026 executive order mandated accelerated migration to post-quantum cryptography across U.S. federal systems, with binding deadlines for the most sensitive networks and a broader target of completing migration by 2035.paloaltonetworks+3

What It Means for Adoption

Unlike NIST's standards — which finalized ML-KEM and ML-DSA algorithms in 2024 — Classic McEliece's inclusion in the ISO framework provides a parallel international pathway for adoption, particularly for governments and enterprises outside the United States. "ISO standardisation means Classic McEliece can be implemented more easily and consistently by governments and enterprises across the world," the company stated.thequantuminsider+2

The algorithm's conservative design and decades-long security record offer what proponents describe as an "ultra-secure" option for organizations that prioritize long-term data protection over minimal bandwidth usage — Classic McEliece's chief tradeoff being its larger key sizes compared to lattice-based alternatives.afp+1