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ML-DSA

A Quantum Cryptography Solution for Digital Signing

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What is ML-DSA
(CRYSTALS-Dilithium)?

Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm (ML-DSA) is lattice-based signing that protects against quantum computing threats. It is based on the CRYSTALS (Cryptographic Suite for Algebraic Lattices) family of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) algorithms, and it is particularly well suited to protecting against chosen-message attacks. ML-DSA was known as CRYSTALS-Dilithium during development and testing. Dilithium was renamed ML-DSA after its approval as a NIST standard in 2024.

ML-DSA is considered a general-purpose digital signature scheme meant to replace RSA- and ECC-based digital signatures. Its performance is already on par with previous schemes and should only improve going forward. However, the signatures and public keys are significantly larger than the quantum-vulnerable counterparts, potentially creating resource issues that must be accounted for in systems design and deployment.

ML-DSA Parameter Sets

ML-DSA has three parameter sets

  • ML-DSA-44
  • ML-DSA-65
  • ML-DSA-87

Each of the parameter sets corresponds to a security level. The security level, and the equivalent RSA scheme are:

Dilithium ML-DSA

ML-DSA by the Numbers

At its base, Dilithium operates on Lyubashevsky’s The most important consideration when using ML-DSA is whether the increase in size will work seamlessly with the protocol. Below is a list of the sizes of ML-DSA with comparisons with its RSA and ECC counterparts. RSA 2048 and Ed25519 are used as the comparison since they are the most widely utilized RSA and ECC signature schemes for certificates.

Dilithium ML-DSA
Dilithium ML-DSA
Dilithium ML-DSA
Dilithium ML-DSA

NIST Standardization

In August 2024, the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standardized ML-DSA in their FIPS 204 document. They assert that ML-DSA is usable by US government organizations for sensitive information. 

Further, NIST has given guidance that organizations should switch from RSA and ECC to ML-DSA by 2030. They have also commented that after 2035, quantum-ready cryptography (also known as Post-Quantum Cryptography, or PQC) will be mandatory for government agencies.

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