What is NIST's lightweight cryptography standard?

Ascon, a group of cryptographic algorithms, has emerged victorious in the recent competition and will be designated as NIST's lightweight cryptography standard in the latter part of 2023.

To mitigate these threats, the chosen algorithms, Ascon, are tailored specifically for lightweight cryptography, ensuring efficient yet robust security for IoT devices.

This standardization process aims to safeguard the integrity and confidentiality of data generated and exchanged within the rapidly expanding Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem.

The IoT, comprising numerous tiny sensors and actuators, has become an integral part of our daily lives, encompassing smart homes, connected vehicles, and industrial automation.

However, with this proliferation, there is an increased risk of data breaches and malicious attacks targeting these vulnerable devices.