NIST: Building a Solid Foundation

For over a century, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has made significant contributions to the world of science and technology, affecting not only US businesses and the economy but also the general public. This introduction provides a snapshot of the impact of NIST's contributions over the last century, while the articles in this special issue focus on NIST's recent contributions in the areas of test generation, search engines, cryptographic standards, and biometrics.