Back Ground.News

In a first, a ransomware family is confirmed to be quantum-safe

Ground.News • April 24, 2026

A relatively new ransomware family is using a novel approach to hype the strength of the encryption used to scramble files—making, or at least claiming, that it is protected against attacks by quantum computers. Kyber, as the ransomware is called, has been around since at least last September and quickly attracted attention for the claim that it used ML-KEM, short for Module Lattice-based Key Encapsulation Mechanism and is a standard shepherded …

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

The full story

This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

Ransomware Group Kyber Uses Post-Quantum Claims to Intimidate Victims The ransomware group Kyber has emerged, utilizing claims of post-quantum cryptography to enhance psychological pressure on victims. This malware, which has been active since at least September 2025, employs the ML-KEM standard to assert its quantum resistance, although its actual encryption methods remain conventional. Kyber's Windows variant uses ML-KEM1024 to protect an AES-256 key for file encryption, but the practical benefits of this approach for attackers are minimal. Victims are typically given a week to respond to ransom demands, despite the fact that quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption standards are still years away. Variants of Kyber have shown inconsistencies, with some claiming to use ML-KEM while actually relying on RSA encryption. Security researchers emphasize that the use of post-quantum elements serves more as a marketing tactic than a technical advancement. The psychological impact on non-technical decision-makers is significant, as the term 'post-quantum encryption' sounds more intimidating than traditional methods. Overall, the ransomware's threat level is heightened by its innovative marketing approach rather than its technical capabilities. 2 sources 37

Extracted Entities

In a first, a ransomware family is confirmed to be quantum-safe

The full story

Extracted Entities

Attack Types (1)

MITRE ATT&CK (1)

Ransomware Groups (1)