Algorithm Catalog
Every PQC algorithm QNSI ships, with the receipts
14 post-quantum cryptography families across 5 mathematical foundations. Each family page details FIPS standard, security levels, key + ciphertext + signature sizes, NIST ACVP coverage, QNSI crypto-policy tier support, and use-case fit - sourced from the canonical algorithm registry the cloud KMS reads from at runtime, not from marketing copy.
NIST security levels
Levels 1-5, mapped to the tier that enforces them
NIST security category belongs to the parameter set, not the algorithm family. The policy engine rejects any parameter set below a tier's floor, so this mapping is enforced at key creation and at the edge - not aspirational copy.
| Level | Classical anchor | KEM (FIPS 203) | Signatures (FIPS 204 / 205) | Tier floor that admits it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AES-128 key search | ML-KEM-512 | SLH-DSA-128f / 128s | default |
| 2 | SHA-256 collision | none - ML-KEM starts at level 1/3 | ML-DSA-44 (no SLH-DSA set at level 2) | default |
| 3 | AES-192 key search | ML-KEM-768 | ML-DSA-65, SLH-DSA-192f / 192s | default, strict and above |
| 4 | SHA-384 collision | none | none by standards design | hash floor only (SHA-384 / SHA3-384) |
| 5 | AES-256 key search | ML-KEM-1024 | ML-DSA-87, SLH-DSA-256f / 256s | all four tiers |
Level 4 is a gap in the standards, not a gap in the product: NIST defined no ML-KEM, ML-DSA or SLH-DSA parameter set at category 4, so nothing here claims it. Where category-4 integrity is required, the enforced control is a hash floor (SHA-384 / SHA3-384). Level floors are enforced in the same policy engine that rejects non-final algorithms at finalized-only tiers.
Decision helper
Which level does your data need?
One question about your data's lifetime maps onto the enforced tier floors. The recommendation is a starting point for a policy conversation, not a compliance assessment.
PQC is required for every tenant on every tier - the default floor simply admits the widest algorithm set (including level-1 parameter sets such as ML-KEM-512).
A starting point, not an assessment of your compliance obligations. The floors are the ones the policy engine enforces - see /platform#tier-ladder and /pricing.
Data that must outlive the classical era gets a level-3 floor: ML-KEM-768/1024, ML-DSA-65/87, and the 192- and 256-bit SLH-DSA sets. No classical fallback.
A starting point, not an assessment of your compliance obligations. The floors are the ones the policy engine enforces - see /platform#tier-ladder and /pricing.
Long-lived secrets get the level-5 floor: ML-KEM-1024, ML-DSA-87, 256-bit SLH-DSA only - with HSM custody required for root keys.
A starting point, not an assessment of your compliance obligations. The floors are the ones the policy engine enforces - see /platform#tier-ladder and /pricing.
The government tier enforces level 5 with FIPS-finalized algorithms only (FN-DSA excluded while FIPS 206 is a draft), requires qualified HSM custody, and cross-verifies providers.
A starting point, not an assessment of your compliance obligations. The floors are the ones the policy engine enforces - see /platform#tier-ladder and /pricing.
Select a data lifetime above to see the matching enforced tier.
Wire sizes, drawn to scale
The post-quantum size tax, visualized.
Post-quantum keys and signatures are bigger than what they replace - and the honest catalog shows the extremes, not just the flattering rows. ML-KEM-768 fits in 1,184 bytes while Classic McEliece trades 1.3 MB of public key for maximum conservatism.
KEMs
Key Encapsulation Mechanisms (7 families)
Used for key agreement - TLS, KMS-wrapped data keys, vault secret encryption, encrypted object storage.
Signatures
Digital Signature Algorithms (7 families)
Used for authenticity and non-repudiation - JWT signing, audit-log Merkle root signing, code signing, SPIFFE SVID signing.