WS3 - Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) for Hackers

Instructed by:  Eric “Eijah” Anderson

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate

Abstract:

Secure communications are not a luxury - they are a foundational requirement for human dignity in the digital age. Our most meaningful conversations, transactions, and decisions demand end-to-end encryption, strong authentication, and verifiable integrity. The notion that "only those with something to hide need strong crypto" is not merely lazy; it is dangerously shortsighted. Privacy is the space where autonomy, intimacy, and authentic human experience thrive. When that space is violated, the damage ripples far beyond the individual.

For decades, classical public-key cryptography has quietly protected everything from online banking to private messaging. That era is ending. Quantum computers are advancing rapidly, and the break of today's asymmetric algorithms - often called the Quantum Apocalypse - is no longer a question of if, but when. The window to prepare is narrowing. Migration must begin now.

In this workshop, you'll implement PQC algorithms from the NSA's CNSA Suite 2.0. You'll use C++, OpenSSL and Linux to demonstrate the secure usage of ML-KEM, ML-DSA, AES-256, and SHA-512. You'll leave with clean, reusable code, deep implementation insight, and the practical skills needed to integrate PQC into real-world systems.

We might not all have something to hide, but we all have something worth protecting.

Pre-Requisites:

This is an intermediate workshop and requires that students have some prior experience programming on a Linux environment with GCC, CMake, and C/C++. Basic knowledge of cryptography, OpenSSL and a familiarly with the Linux operating system is also helpful.