As the rise of quantum computers becomes the subject of more and more news articles — especially those that prophesy these devices’ ability to crack the encryption that protects secure messages, such as our bank transfers — it’s illuminating to speak with one of the quantum experts who is actually…

A closer look at cybersecurity protections for genomic data By Ronald Pulivarti, a senior cybersecurity engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) If you had asked me a few years ago about my opinion on the security of my personal information, my response would have centered around my Social Security…

By Greg Fiumara, a computer scientist at NIST After wading through airport security and a turbulent trans-Atlantic flight, the last thing I wanted was more friction arriving back in the USA. However, I was looking forward to using Global Entry, a voluntary Department of Homeland Security program that, after a…

Kelsea Schumacher, guest researcher at NIST I am an avid secondhand shopper. Clothes, shoes, furniture, household items, sporting equipment, you name it, I always check the secondhand market first. Beyond that, I am continuously donating outgrown clothing and any other unneeded and forgotten items lying around our house. …

Cars. Cows. Oil and natural gas leaks. The list of what is polluting our atmosphere and contributing to global warming is long and varied. And if we want to solve this problem, being able to accurately measure what’s happening is key. NIST is contributing to this critical measurement challenge in…

Dereck Orr, chief of the Public Safety Communications Research Division at NIST I came to the Public Safety Communications Research Program (PSCR) as a program manager in 2002, after investigations into the emergency response to the events of 9/11 shed light on the tragic failure of first responder communications systems…

By Kate Beers, manager of NIST’s Circular Economy Program When I started college, I thought I was going to study foreign relations and languages. …

By Alex Boss, a writer in the NIST Public Affairs Office If you’ve seen the movie Titanic starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, then you’ve watched the star-crossed lovers’ untimely end and the tragic sinking of the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) Titanic. …

Ben Stein, Managing Editor, NIST Public Affairs Office When we talk about measurement units here at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), you’ll typically hear us rattling off the official ones — such as the meter, the second and the kilogram. These official measurements, which are part of…