About the Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) category
What belongs in this category
The Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) category covers products that prepare organizations for quantum computers able to break today's public-key encryption. Typical entries find where cryptography is used across applications, devices and networks (a cryptographic inventory). They provide the new algorithms standardized by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in software libraries and hardware. They help organizations switch algorithms without breaking systems, often by running old and new algorithms together (hybrid mode). Quantum key distribution and quantum random number generators, which have no category of their own, can also enter here.
Three post-quantum categories that no longer exist can enter here: authentication, data protection and network protection. Each can also enter the category for its main job: Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Encryption and Key Management or Network Security, respectively. Privileged access protected with quantum-resistant cryptography has its own category, Post-Quantum Privileged Access Management.
Related categories to enter
Each category is judged separately, so you can enter a product in every category that matches what it does, with a separate nomination for each. Tailor each nomination to that category's focus. Entering several related categories gives the product more than one chance to be recognized.
How entries are judged
An independent jury of security practitioners, analysts and CISOs scores each nomination on leadership, innovation and impact. Each nomination competes in its category against organizations of similar size and region, so a mid-sized firm is not ranked against a global enterprise. Your entry package, any sponsorship and public votes do not affect the jury's scores.
Strong entries in this category show:
- Leadership — the systems and organizations the product protects: cryptographic assets covered, customers in government, defense, banking or telecoms whose data must stay secret for decades, and independent validation such as NIST algorithm validation or FIPS 140-3 certification of modules with the new algorithms.
- Innovation — a migration problem solved in a new way, such as finding every use of cryptography, switching algorithms without rewriting applications, or hybrid modes that keep older systems working.
- Impact — results for customers: cryptographic assets inventoried, systems moved to quantum-resistant algorithms, performance compared with classical cryptography, migration time cut. Give figures from deployments.
The jury awards Gold, Silver or Bronze, or a Finalist badge, and results are published on this site and announced to the 600,000+ member Cybersecurity Insiders community. Every approved nomination also enters the separate Community Choice award, decided by public votes.
How to enter
A vendor can enter its own product or service, and a PR agency can enter it on a client's behalf. The nomination form has a confidential field for detail that is shared with the judges and not published, such as customer names, deployment figures or roadmap. Deadlines, pricing and entry steps are on the How it Works page.
