Standards
Standards, algorithms, and implementation evidence
What you will understand
Read a standard as a precise mechanism specification, not a deployment guarantee.
Last reviewed:
Understand the context
NIST finalized FIPS 203, 204, and 205 in August 2024. ML-KEM, specified by FIPS 203, is a key-encapsulation mechanism used as part of key establishment. ML-DSA under FIPS 204 and SLH-DSA under FIPS 205 are digital signature schemes. They have different purposes and operational characteristics.
Plan the work
Check the current publication page and its errata before selecting parameters. Record whether a referenced document is final, draft, or under development. Algorithm standardization, protocol integration, product support, and cryptographic-module validation are distinct evidence levels. An implementation claiming an algorithm name is not automatically a validated module.
Evidence to review
Compare the complete use case: key and signature sizes, latency, memory, certificate or message formats, lifecycle operations, and interoperability with peers. Require exact library and provider versions in a test record. A TLS key-establishment experiment does not demonstrate post-quantum certificate authentication or post-quantum software signing.
Limits and next steps
Do not treat a selected candidate as a final standard or extrapolate a laboratory result to all deployments. Maintain a review date and direct links to authoritative publications. This guide explains roles and evidence requirements; parameter selection for a real system needs current implementation documentation and a scoped engineering review.
Evidence and limitations
Educational guidance with referenced standards; no customer system has been assessed for this article. Implementation and protocol support must be verified for the selected environment.