Research NIST FIPS 203/204/205: The Complete Guide 14 min read Who is NIST, and Why Do Their Standards Matter? NIST is the National Institute of Standards and Technology , a non-regulatory agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. NIST does not make laws or enforce regulations. What it does is publish technical standards that define how things should work, from the length of a meter to the algorithms that protect your bank account. When it comes to cryptography, NIST's standards are the global reference. The U.S. government requires all federal agencies and their contractors to use NIST-approved cryptographic algorithms. But NIST's influence extends far beyond government. Financial institutions, healthcare organizations, technology companies, and critical infrastructure operators worldwide adopt NIST standards because they represent the consensus of the global cryptographic research community.…