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SPHINCS+ is NIST's third post-quantum signature standard (FIPS 205), and it's the conservative backup plan. While Kyber and Dilithium are based on lattice problems, SPHINCS+ uses only hash functions - cryptographic operations we understand extremely well and trust completely. The name is Greek-inspired (SPHINCS is the Greek sphinx). It's "stateless" meaning you can generate signatures independently without tracking state - important for distributed systems where state synchronization is hard. The tradeoff: SPHINCS+ signatures are large (7-17 KB depending on security level) compared to Dilithium (2-4 KB). Signing is also slower. But the security confidence is maximum because it's based on SHA-256 or SHA-512, which have been battle-tested for decades. If somehow lattice cryptography turns out to have weaknesses, SPHINCS+ remains secure. QNu Labs' Hodos includes SPHINCS+ for scenarios where you want the ultimate conservative choice.
NIST chose SPHINCS+ as a hedge - if lattice cryptography has undiscovered weaknesses, the world needs a backup. Hash functions are the most understood, most analyzed primitives in cryptography. Basing signatures on nothing but hashing gives maximum confidence. For ultra-high-security applications where you can tolerate larger signatures, SPHINCS+ is the choice.
Financial institutions signing ultra-high-value transactions, government agencies signing classified documents, blockchain systems wanting maximum signature security, code signing for critical infrastructure, firmware signing for long-lived systems - these scenarios justify SPHINCS+ larger signatures for the security confidence it provides.
Government classified document signing, ultra-high-security financial transactions, nuclear facility command and control, critical infrastructure firmware signatures, blockchain and cryptocurrency signing for maximum security, long-term security requiring conservative cryptography, backup signature scheme for defense-in-depth
https://www.qnulabs.com/blog/ | https://www.qnulabs.com/qnu-labs-hybrid-approach-blending-quantum-and-post-quantum-cryptography-for-future-proof-security/
SPHINCS+, FIPS 205, SLH-DSA, stateless hash-based signatures, hash-based signatures, post-quantum signatures, NIST PQC, conservative cryptography, SHA-256 signatures, SHA-512 signatures, quantum-resistant signatures, backup PQC algorithm, large signatures