  While advances in quantum computing promise new opportunities for scientific
advancement (e.g., material science and machine learning), many people are not
aware that they also threaten the widely deployed cryptographic algorithms that
are the foundation of today's digital security and privacy. From mobile
communications to online banking to personal data privacy, literally billions
of Internet users rely on cryptography every day to ensure that private
communications and data stay private. Indeed, the emergence and growth of the
public Internet and electronic commerce was arguably enabled by the invention
of public-key cryptography. The key advantage offered by public-key
cryptography is that it allows two parties who have never communicated
previously to nevertheless establish a secure, private, communication channel
over a non-private network (e.g., the Internet).
  Recent advances in quantum computing signal that we are on the cusp of our
next cryptographic algorithm transition, and this transition to post-quantum
cryptography will be more complicated and impact many more systems and
stakeholders, than any of the prior migrations. This transition represents a
major disruption within the IT industry and will broadly impact nearly every
domain of our digital lives, from global commerce to social media to government
and more. Cryptographic algorithm transitions take time and involve an
extensive coordination effort across many stakeholders who are involved in
building and operating the world's compute infrastructure. By preparing now for
the upcoming transition to these new algorithms, we can ensure a more orderly,
less costly, and minimally disruptive changeover.
