Golden Finance reported that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently proposed to expand the block and key length of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to 256 bits to meet the encryption needs under the threat of big data processing and quantum computing. Currently AES uses 128-bit blocks and supports 128, 192, and 256-bit key lengths. NIST said that increasing block and key lengths will help improve the ability to resist quantum computing and ensure the security of encryption systems. Meanwhile, other quantum security solutions are being tested, including post-quantum cryptography experiments completed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Bank of France. Although the threat of quantum computing is decades away, experts are calling for preparation for cryptographic systems.