GuidesUnderstanding Encryption
🔐

Understanding Encryption

Intermediate8 min read

Learn how quantum-safe encryption protects your data and why it matters for the future of AI security.

📋 What You'll Learn

  • • How Kyber512 post-quantum encryption works
  • • End-to-end encryption implementation
  • • Performance impact and optimization
  • • Security benefits over traditional methods

Why Quantum-Safe Encryption Matters

Traditional encryption methods like RSA and ECC, while currently secure, will become vulnerable to quantum computers. Quantum-safe encryption, also known as post-quantum cryptography, is designed to resist attacks from both classical and quantum computers.

The Quantum Threat

When large-scale quantum computers become available, they could break RSA-2048 encryption in hours. Organizations need to prepare now with quantum-safe alternatives.

Kyber512: Our Chosen Algorithm

QuantmLayer uses Kyber512, a lattice-based cryptographic algorithm that's part of the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Standards. Here's why we chose it:

NIST Standardized

Officially selected by NIST as a standard for post-quantum key encapsulation mechanisms.

High Performance

Optimized for speed with minimal computational overhead compared to other post-quantum algorithms.

How End-to-End Encryption Works

QuantmLayer implements a hybrid encryption approach that combines the security of Kyber512 with the efficiency of symmetric encryption:

  1. 1

    Client-Side Key Generation

    Your browser generates a Kyber512 key pair locally

  2. 2

    Data Encryption

    Your prompt is encrypted using AES-256-GCM with a quantum-safe wrapped key

  3. 3

    Secure Transmission

    Encrypted data travels to our servers without exposing plaintext

  4. 4

    Secure Processing

    Data is decrypted in secure enclaves, processed by AI, and immediately re-encrypted

  5. 5

    Response Delivery

    Encrypted response is sent back to your client for local decryption

Performance Impact

One of the key concerns with post-quantum cryptography is performance. Here's how QuantmLayer minimizes the impact:

<50ms

Average encryption overhead

1.2KB

Additional payload size

99.9%

Processing success rate

Implementation Example

Here's how quantum-safe encryption works in practice with QuantmLayer:

from quantmlayer import SecureGPT

# Initialize with quantum-safe encryption
client = SecureGPT(
    api_key="ql_your_api_key",
    encryption="kyber512"  # Post-quantum safe
)

# Your data is encrypted before transmission
response = client.encrypt_and_query(
    prompt="Analyze this sensitive medical data...",
    model="gpt-4",
    
    # Additional security options
    compliance_mode="hipaa",  # Compliance alignment
    audit_trail=True,         # Full audit logging
    retention_policy="none"   # Zero data retention
)

# Response includes encryption metadata
print(f"Encryption: {response.metadata.encryption}")
print(f"Overhead: {response.metadata.encryption_time}ms")
print(f"Security Level: {response.metadata.security_level}")

# Your sensitive response, safely decrypted
print(response.content)

Security Benefits

Future-Proof Security

Protection against both current and future quantum computer attacks

Zero-Knowledge Architecture

We cannot decrypt your data even if we wanted to - true zero-knowledge design

Compliance Ready

Meet regulatory requirements for data protection and privacy

Next Steps

Ready to Implement Quantum-Safe Encryption?

Start protecting your AI workloads with post-quantum cryptography today.