Why we cannot wait for better post-quantum signature algorithms

According to Cloudflare, we're at an inflection point in cryptography. The National Institute of Standards and Technology—NIST—is working on nine new post-quantum signature algorithms, sophisticated enough to resist quantum computing's brute force power. They're years away from formal standardization, though. Quantum computers pose a genuine threat to today's encryption: they'll eventually break the math that secures everything from your bank account to internet infrastructure. The tech world is scrambling to build new cryptographic foundations before that happens. But waiting for the perfect algorithm could leave us vulnerable. Cloudflare argues we should adopt ML-DSA—a post-quantum signature standard already available—rather than sit idle. It's not perfect, but it's the best defense we have now, while NIST's newer candidates mature in parallel. The tension: move fast and secure the foundation, or wait for something theoretically better and risk the window closing.

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