Bit Security
Definition
Bit security measures the computational effort required to break a cryptographic system. A scheme with n-bit security requires approximately 2^n operations to break. 128-bit security is standard; 192-bit and 256-bit provide higher margins.
Technical Explanation
Classical bit security assumes attacks run on classical computers. Quantum bit security accounts for quantum speedups—Grover's algorithm halves symmetric cipher security (AES-256 drops to 128-bit quantum), while Shor's algorithm completely breaks RSA and ECC regardless of key size.
NIST defines security levels: Level 1 (128-bit classical/AES-128 equivalent), Level 3 (192-bit/AES-192), and Level 5 (256-bit/AES-256). Post-quantum algorithms specify which level they target, with implementations choosing appropriate parameters.
SynX Relevance
SynX targets NIST Security Level 1+ (128-bit post-quantum) for signatures via SPHINCS+-SHAKE-128f and Level 3 (192-bit) for key encapsulation via Kyber-768. These levels provide substantial security margins against both classical and quantum attacks.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is 128-bit quantum security enough?
- Yes—it requires 2^128 quantum operations, far beyond any foreseeable capability.
- Why not use maximum security always?
- Higher security means larger keys and signatures. SynX balances security with practicality.
- How does quantum affect bit security?
- Grover halves symmetric security; Shor breaks asymmetric crypto entirely.
Proven bit security for the quantum era. Secure with SynX