Skip to main content
All glossary terms

Credentials & security

ML-DSA

ML-DSA is a post-quantum digital-signature algorithm standardized by NIST. It enables a verifier to check that a signed message was authorized by the holder of a signing key and has not changed; it does not encrypt the message or establish a shared secret.

Also known as Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm.

Why it matters in practice

Signatures support authenticity and integrity when keys and verification policies are managed correctly. ML-DSA therefore has a different role from ML-KEM, which establishes shared secret material. A signature does not prove that a message is truthful or that the signing key was protected from misuse.

Example

A release process verifies an ML-DSA signature on a package before treating the package as signed by its expected publisher.

Educational note

This definition is general information, not legal advice. It may omit facts that matter to a specific situation and does not establish or guarantee compliance.