security strength

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CYB-003851",
  "term": "security strength",
  "field": "Cybersecurity",
  "definition": "1. A number associated with the amount of work (i.e., the number of operations) that is required to break a cryptographic algorithm or system.\n\n2. A number associated with the amount of work (that is, the number of operations) that is required to break a cryptographic algorithm or system.\n\n3. See security strength.\n\n4. A number associated with the amount of work (i.e., the number of operations) that is required to break a cryptographic algorithm or system. In this Recommendation, the security strength is specified in bits and is a specific value from the set {80, 112, 128, 192, 256}. Note that a security strength of 80 bits is no longer considered sufficiently secure.\n\n5. A number associated with the amount of work (that is, the number of operations) that is required to break a cryptographic algorithm or system. If 2^N execution operations of the algorithm (or system) are required to break the cryptographic algorithm, then the security strength is N bits.\n\n6. A number associated with the amount of work (e.g., the number of operations) that is required to break a cryptographic algorithm or system.\n\n7. A number associated with the amount of work (that is, the number of basic operations of some sort) required to break a cryptographic algorithm or system. Security strength is often expressed in bits. If the security strength is S bits, then it is expected that (roughly) 2^S basic operations are required to break the algorithm or system.\n\n8. A number associated with the expected amount of work (that is, the base 2 logarithm of the number of operations) to cryptanalyze a cryptographic algorithm or system.\n\n9. A number associated with the amount of work (that is, the number of operations of some sort) that is required to break a cryptographic algorithm or system in some way. In this Recommendation, the security strength is specified in bits and is a specific value from the set {112, 128, 192, 256}. If the security strength associated with an algorithm or system is S bits, then it is expected that (roughly) 2^S basic operations are required to break it.\n\n10. A number characterizing the amount of work that is expected to suffice to \"break\" the security definition of a given cryptographic algorithm.\n\n11. A number characterizing the amount of work that is expected to suffice to “defeat” an implemented cryptographic mechanism (e.g., by compromising its functionality and/or circumventing the protection that its use was intended to facilitate). In this Recommendation, security strength is measured in bits. If the security strength of a particular implementation of a cryptographic mechanism is s bits, it is expected that the equivalent of (roughly) 2^s basic operations of some sort will be sufficient to defeat it in some way.\n\n12. The amount of computational work required to break a cryptographic algorithm or system, often measured in bits.\n\n13. A number associated with the amount of work that is required to break a cryptographic algorithm or system.",
  "synonyms": [
    "Bits of security"
  ],
  "references": [
    "FIPS 186-5; FIPS 203; FIPS 204; FIPS 205 from FIPS 186-5; NIST SP 800-175B Rev. 1",
    "CNSSI 4009-2022 from CNSSI 1300 (adapted); NIST SP 800-175A",
    "NIST SP 800-107 Rev. 1",
    "NIST SP 800-57 Part 1 Rev. 5",
    "NIST SP 800-102",
    "NIST SP 800-133 Rev. 2",
    "NIST SP 800-152",
    "NIST SP 800-90A Rev. 1",
    "NIST SP 800-108r1 [August 2022 (Includes updates as of 02-02-2024)]",
    "NIST SP 800-56C Rev. 2",
    "NIST SP 800-88r2",
    "NIST SP 800-227",
    "NIST CSRC Glossary"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/cybersecurity/security-strength/"
}