UK NCSC endorses ML-KEM-768 and ML-DSA-65
14 AUGUST 2024, LONDON
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre endorsed specific post-quantum algorithms in its August 2024 guidance, version 2.0. It named ML-KEM-768 for key establishment and ML-DSA-65 for signatures, both specific parameter sets of the NIST standards. By naming configurations rather than general families, the NCSC gives UK organizations a clear default choice and removes ambiguity for vendors.
The guidance also sets the NCSC's position on hybrids. It treats hybrid schemes, which pair a classical algorithm with a post-quantum one, as an interim measure only. That stance differs from some European agencies that favour hybrids throughout the transition, and it points UK organizations toward pure post-quantum algorithms once they are confident in them.
Naming exact parameter sets aids interoperability and procurement. When an organization and its suppliers both know the NCSC expects ML-KEM-768 and ML-DSA-65, a contract can specify a concrete target instead of a vague requirement for post-quantum support. That precision reduces the risk of mismatched implementations that fail to interoperate.
Why it matters. The NCSC's endorsement gives UK organizations a definite starting point: two named algorithms and a clear view that hybrids are temporary. Teams can specify ML-KEM-768 and ML-DSA-65 in procurement and architecture today, and plan to move off hybrids rather than treat them as the destination. That clarity makes it easier to align internal choices with national guidance and with the NIST standards behind it.