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The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a US federal agency founded in 1901, operating under the Department of Commerce with campuses in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Boulder, Colorado. NIST published the world's first three finalized post-quantum cryptography standards on August 13, 2024: FIPS 203 (ML-KEM, derived from CRYSTALS-Kyber) for key encapsulation, FIPS 204 (ML-DSA, derived from CRYSTALS-Dilithium) for digital signatures, and FIPS 205 (SLH-DSA, derived from SPHINCS+) as a hash-based signature alternative. FIPS 206 (FN-DSA, derived from FALCON) and HQC, selected March 11, 2025, as a code-based KEM backup to ML-KEM, are progressing through standardization. NIST also runs leading quantum metrology and hardware programs covering atomic clocks, neutral-atom qubits, and trapped-ion research, and operates the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI) with the University of Maryland. Update 2026-06-14: NIST proposes updates to PIV standards to integrate post-quantum cryptography for future security. Source: https://quantumzeitgeist.com/quantum-safe-credentials-nist-proposes-dual/ Update 2026-06-05: NIST developed a new AI model called Safe Step to forecast fire evolution and identify safe evacuation routes. Source: https://quantumzeitgeist.com/safe-step-prediction-hazards-along-evacuation/ Update 2026-05-28: SEALSQ's QS7001 Post-Quantum Secure Element received NIST Entropy Source Validation Certificate #E333. Source: https://quantumzeitgeist.com/qs7001-nist-entropy-element-validation/ Update 2026-05-19: Western Digital's Ultrastar HDDs now incorporate hardware-level defense using post-quantum cryptography and NIST-approved algorithms. Source: https://quantumzeitgeist.com/nist-approved-algorithms-western/ Update 2026-04-16: CIQ's RLC Pro and RLC Pro Hardened platforms include five active NIST cryptographic certificates for federal compliance. Source: https://quantumzeitgeist.com/nist-cryptographic-certificates-ciqs-rlc/ Update 2025-12-20: NIST physicists d
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