First Quantum-Safe Ransomware Confirmed: Kyber Gang Deploys NIST-Standardized PQC Against Defense Contractor

Ars Technica·high signal

A ransomware gang called Kyber has become the first confirmed operation deploying NIST-standardized post-quantum cryptography (Kyber1024 lattice-based key encapsulation) in production, with its first victim being a multibillion-dollar US defense contractor. The Rust-based Windows variant uses genuine quantum-resistant encryption, while the Linux/ESXi variant encrypts VM datastores with conventional crypto. Rapid7 found the group's 'post-quantum' claims are partially false — only the Windows variant actually uses quantum-resistant algorithms.