What are HQC and FN-DSA?
They are the next post-quantum algorithms on NIST's path, not yet final standards. HQC (Hamming Quasi-Cyclic) is a key-encapsulation method that NIST selected in March 2025 as a backup to ML-KEM. It rests on error-correcting codes rather than lattices, so if a weakness were ever found in lattice problems, an algorithm from a different mathematical family would be ready. NIST said at the time that it expected a draft standard about a year later and a final standard in 2027. FN-DSA, based on the FALCON submission, is a signature scheme planned as FIPS 206; its signatures are much smaller than ML-DSA's, which helps where space is tight, but it is harder to implement safely. For your planning, the lesson is not to bet on one algorithm forever. Choose products that can swap algorithms through configuration or updates. That ability, called crypto-agility, protects you if a standard changes or an implementation flaw appears.