# Kyber

> quantum-safe key encapsulation mechanism

**Wikidata**: [Q110453308](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110453308)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyber)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/kyber

## Summary
Kyber is a quantum-safe key encapsulation mechanism (KEM) designed to securely transport cryptographic keys over insecure channels. Standardized by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as FIPS 203, it is a form of lattice-based cryptography intended to resist attacks from both classical and quantum computers. Kyber is also known as Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism (ML-KEM).

## Key Facts
- **Standardization:** Standardized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as FIPS 203, also known as ML-KEM.
- **Aliases:** Also known as CRYSTALS-Kyber and ML-KEM (Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism).
- **Cryptographic Type:** An instance of lattice-based cryptography and a key encapsulation mechanism.
- **Security Basis:** Its security relies on the hardness of the learning with errors (LWE) problem.
- **Initial Publication:** First published in 2017.
- **Latest Version:** Version 3.02 was released on August 4, 2021.
- **License:** The source code is available under the Creative Commons CC0 License.
- **Official Website:** The project's official website is pq-crystals.org/kyber/.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Kyber used for?
A: Kyber is a key encapsulation mechanism used to establish a shared secret key between two parties over an insecure communication channel. It is specifically designed to be "quantum-safe," meaning it can resist attacks from future quantum computers that would break current key exchange protocols.

### Q: Is Kyber a standard?
A: Yes, Kyber has been standardized by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as the Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism (ML-KEM). This standard is published as Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 203.

### Q: What kind of cryptography is Kyber?
A: Kyber is a form of post-quantum cryptography (PQC). It belongs to the family of lattice-based cryptography and its security is based on the mathematical difficulty of the "learning with errors" (LWE) problem.

## Why It Matters
Kyber is significant because it provides a solution to one of the most urgent threats in cybersecurity: the risk posed by quantum computers. Current public-key cryptography, which underpins the security of most of the internet, is vulnerable to attacks by a sufficiently powerful quantum computer. Kyber is designed to be resistant to such attacks.

Its selection by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for standardization as the primary post-quantum key-establishment algorithm (ML-KEM) marks a critical step in the global transition to quantum-resistant cryptography. This endorsement positions Kyber as a leading and trusted method for securing digital communications, from web browsing to financial transactions, in a future where quantum computing is a reality. Its public domain license encourages widespread, unencumbered adoption, accelerating the migration to a more secure digital infrastructure.

## Notable For
- **NIST Standardization:** Kyber was selected by NIST as the primary algorithm for post-quantum key establishment and standardized as ML-KEM in the FIPS 203 publication.
- **Lattice-Based Security:** Its security is derived from the well-studied "learning with errors" (LWE) problem, a foundation of modern lattice-based cryptography.
- **Public Domain License:** The reference implementation is licensed under the Creative Commons CC0 License, effectively placing it in the public domain and allowing for free and unrestricted use.
- **Part of CRYSTALS:** Kyber is a component of the Cryptographic Suite for Algebraic Lattices (CRYSTALS), a collection of post-quantum algorithms developed by a team of academic and industry researchers.

## Body
### ### Standardization and Naming
Kyber is a public-key cryptographic algorithm selected by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) during its Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standardization process. It has been formally standardized as the Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism (ML-KEM) in the FIPS 203 standard. The algorithm is also widely known by its submission name, CRYSTALS-Kyber.

### ### Cryptographic Foundation
Kyber is an instance of a key encapsulation mechanism (KEM), a protocol used to securely transport a secret key across an insecure channel. Its design falls under the category of lattice-based cryptography. The security of the algorithm is based on the computational hardness of solving the learning with errors (LWE) problem over module lattices.

### ### History and Versions
The Kyber algorithm was first submitted to the NIST PQC competition and published in 2017. It has undergone several revisions since its initial release.
- **Version 2.0:** Released March 30, 2019
- **Version 3.0:** Released October 1, 2020
- **Version 3.01:** Released January 31, 2021
- **Version 3.02:** Released August 4, 2021

### ### Availability and Licensing
The official project website, which includes specifications and documentation, has been active since December 30, 2017. The source code for the reference implementation is publicly available in a GitHub repository. The project is licensed under the Creative Commons CC0 License, which dedicates the work to the public domain and waives all rights, allowing for maximum freedom of use.

## References

1. [Source](https://github.com/pq-crystals/kyber/blob/main/LICENSE)
2. [Source](https://www.pq-crystals.org/kyber/data/kyber-specification-round2.pdf)
3. [Source](https://www.pq-crystals.org/kyber/data/kyber-specification-round3.pdf)
4. [Source](https://www.pq-crystals.org/kyber/data/kyber-specification-round3-20210131.pdf)
5. [Source](https://www.pq-crystals.org/kyber/data/kyber-specification-round3-20210804.pdf)
6. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20171221191608/csrc.nist.gov/projects/post-quantum-cryptography/round-1-submissions)