Crypto Agility

Advances in computing capabilities, cryptographic research, and cryptanalytic techniques periodically create the need to replace algorithms that no longer provide adequate security for their use cases. For example, the threats posed by future cryptographically relevant quantum computers (CRQCs) to public-key cryptography is addressed by NIST post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standards.  Migrating to PQC in protocols, applications, software, hardware, and infrastructures presents an opportunity to explore capabilities that could allow this cryptographic algorithm migration and future migrations to be easier to achieve by adopting a cryptographic (crypto) agility approach.

Crypto agility describes the capabilities needed to replace and adapt cryptographic algorithms for protocols, applications, software, hardware, and infrastructures without interrupting the flow of a running system to achieve resiliency. Crypto agility must be considered for each specific implementation environment.