NIST has initiated a process to develop and standardize one or more additional public-key cryptographic algorithms to augment FIPS 186-4, Digital Signature Standard (DSS), as well as special publications SP 800-56A Revision 2, Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key Establishment Schemes Using Discrete Logarithm Cryptography, and SP 800-56B, Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key-Establishment Schemes Using Integer Factorization Cryptography.

It is intended that the new public-key cryptography standards will specify one or more additional unclassified, publicly disclosed digital signature, public-key encryption, and key-establishment algorithms that are capable of protecting sensitive government information well into the foreseeable future, including after the advent of quantum computers.

As a first step in this process, NIST solicited public comment on draft minimum acceptability requirements, submission requirements, and evaluation criteria for candidate algorithms. The comments received are posted at https://www.nist.gov/pqcrypto, along with a summary of the changes made as a result of these comments.The purpose of this notice is to announce that nominations for post-quantum candidate algorithms may now be submitted, up until the final deadline of November 30, 2017.

Complete instructions on how to submit a candidate package, including the minimal acceptability requirements, are posted at https://www.nist.gov/pqcrypto. The finalized evaluation criteria which will be used to assess the submissions are also posted at the same website.