 Key encapsulation mechanism

A Key Encapsulation Mechanism (KEM) is a cryptographic primitive used to securely encapsulate a symmetric key for encryption and decryption purposes. It allows for the secure exchange of symmetric keys between parties in a way that protects them from eavesdroppers. KEMs play a fundamental role in hybrid encryption schemes, where asymmetric cryptography is used to encrypt symmetric keys, which are then used to encrypt the actual message data.