The NIST PQC Competition: Process and Criteria

NIST launched the Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standardization project in 2016 in direct response to the threat posed by quantum computers. Shor's algorithm can break RSA and elliptic curve cryptography in polynomial time on a sufficiently large quantum computer. NIST recognized that transitioning cryptographic infrastructure takes decades and began the process well before quantum computers pose an immediate threat.

NIST issued a call for submissions in December 2016, receiving 82 complete submissions by November 2017. After initial review, 69 were accepted as first-round candidates. The submissions spanned a wide range of mathematical assumptions: lattice problems, hash functions, code-based cryptography, isogeny-based cryptography, and multivariate polynomials. Diversity of assumptions was a key goal to avoid putting all eggs in one basket.