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NIST PQC Standardization Process | HQC Announced as a 4th Round Selection
HQC Announced as a 4th Round Selection. NIST Internal Report (IR) 8545 details the evaluation criteria, algorithm designs, and reasoning behind the selection.
After a thorough evaluation in the Fourth Round of the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Standardization Process, NIST has selected HQC for standardization. NIST Internal Report (IR) 8545, Status Report on the Fourth Round of the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Process, details the evaluation criteria, algorithm designs, and reasoning behind the selection. Specifically, it explains why HQC was chosen over BIKE and why Classic McEliece was not selected.
NIST sincerely appreciates the ongoing participation in the NIST PQC Standardization Process. The selection of HQC marks the conclusion of this phase of standardization, which began with the NIST Call for Proposals in 2016. Standardization efforts will continue as NIST evaluates additional digital signatures through the onramp process.
NIST will draft a standard for HQC and release it for public comment. Following the review and adjudication process, the final version will be published in approximately two years. HQC will be the second PQC key-encapsulation mechanism (KEM), following ML-KEM. Additionally, NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-227, Recommendations for Key-Encapsulation Mechanisms, outlines KEM definitions, properties, applications, and security guidance.
The NIST PQC Team