Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism Standard

Published

August 13, 2024

Author(s)

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gorjan Alagic, Quynh Dang, Dustin Moody, Angela Robinson, Hamilton Silberg, Daniel Smith-Tone

Abstract

A key-encapsulation mechanism (KEM) is a set of algorithms that, under certain conditions, can be used by two parties to establish a shared secret key over a public channel. A shared secret key that is securely established using a KEM can then be used with symmetric-key cryptographic algorithms to perform basic tasks in secure communications, such as encryption and authentication. This standard specifies a key-encapsulation mechanism called ML-KEM. The security of ML-KEM is related to the computational difficulty of the Module Learning with Errors problem. At present, ML-KEM is believed to be secure, even against adversaries who possess a quantum computer. This standard specifies three parameter sets for ML-KEM. In order of increasing security strength and decreasing performance, these are ML-KEM-512, ML-KEM-768, and ML-KEM-1024.

Citation

Federal Inf. Process. Stds. (NIST FIPS) - NIST FIPS 203

Report Number

NIST FIPS 203

NIST Pub Series

Federal Inf. Process. Stds. (NIST FIPS)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.FIPS.203

Local Download

Keywords

computer security, cryptography, encryption, Federal Information Processing Standards, key-encapsulation mechanism, lattice-based cryptography, post-quantum, public-key cryptography

Citation

(NIST), N. , Alagic, G. , Dang, Q. , Moody, D. , Robinson, A. , Silberg, H. and Smith-Tone, D. (2024), Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism Standard, Federal Inf. Process. Stds. (NIST FIPS), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.FIPS.203, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=958462 (Accessed October 14, 2025)