A recent trend in the IT world is the term Internet of Things (IoT). As more and more devices get connected to the internet, and with companies trying to lower production costs in order to stay competitive, security can easily be neglected. In this report traditional Transport Layer Security (TLS) implementations and post-quantum based TLS were evaluated and performance measurements were conducted. The initial attempt was to run post-quantum secure algorithms on an IoT device in order to see if an IoT device theoretically would be able to withstand an attack from a quantum computer. Due to memory constraints it was not possible to run the modified version of the cryptography library, PolarSSL, on the intended IoT device. For that reason we switched to another platform, namely a Raspberry Pi. The measurements were conducted on that platform and in-depth analysis was performed to determine if current implementations of post-quantum algorithms can be suitable for IoT devices or not. The conclusion was that post-quantum algorithms are more time-consuming than traditional algorithms used today. One of the experiments in this report shows that using a post-quantum algorithm for the key exchange is 2.5 times slower and needs 10 times as much RAM memory than a traditional solution with the same security level. There is therefore no apparent need to start using post-quantum algorithms today in terms of security level, when considering the duration and RAM usage for the key exchange. With time and optimization some of the algorithms evaluated in this report, or similar algorithms, could be good candidates the day large quantum computers are produced.
A recent trend in the IT world is the term Internet of Things (IoT). As more and more devices get connected to the internet, and with companies trying to lower production costs in order to stay competitive, security can easily be neglected. In this report traditional Transport Layer Security (TLS) implementations and post-quantum based TLS were evaluated and performance measurements were conducted. The initial attempt was to run post-quantum secure algorithms on an IoT device in order to see if an IoT device theoretically would be able to withstand an attack from a quantum computer. Due to memory constraints it was not possible to run the modified version of the cryptography library, PolarSSL, on the intended IoT device. For that reason we switched to another platform, namely a Raspberry Pi. The measurements were conducted on that platform and in-depth analysis was performed to determine if current implementations of post-quantum algorithms can be suitable for IoT devices or not. The conclusion was that post-quantum algorithms are more time-consuming than traditional algorithms used today. One of the experiments in this report shows that using a post-quantum algorithm for the key exchange is 2.5 times slower and needs 10 times as much RAM memory than a traditional solution with the same security level. There is therefore no apparent need to start using post-quantum algorithms today in terms of security level, when considering the duration and RAM usage for the key exchange. With time and optimization some of the algorithms evaluated in this report, or similar algorithms, could be good candidates the day large quantum computers are produced.
The growth of quantum computing reveals a series of significant threats to cryptographic systems known today, such as RSA, ECC, and Diffie-Hellman, which are extremely important for Internet security, but are threatened by the increase in possible quantum attacks. The area of public and private key cryptography is vast. Therefore, this article addresses post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms and the challenges of implementing them in Internet of Things (IoT) devices, given the difficulty of application due to restricted resources, such as RAM and clock speed . To this end, we will discuss the need for standardization of algorithms considering low-resource IoT devices, prioritizing RAM over ROM, meeting the needs of low-memory devices, which are lighter. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has validated four cryptographic systems that are secure against quantum attacks. We analyze the implications of these systems on the infrastructure of current networks and will compare in detail these algorithms and their respective strengths, weaknesses, and trade-offs. We evaluate the feasibility of post-quantum encryption (PQC) algorithms in resource-constrained IoT devices using the ESP-WROOM-32 microcontroller. Three cryptographic schemes were implemented and compared.
Although quantum computing is still in its nascent age, its evolution threatens the most popular public-key encryption systems. Such systems are essential for today's Internet security due to their ability for solving the key distribution problem and for providing high security in insecure communications channels that allow for accessing websites or for exchanging e-mails, financial transactions, digitally signed documents, military communications or medical data. Cryptosystems like Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA), elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) or Diffie-Hellman have spread worldwide and are part of diverse key Internet standards like Transport Layer Security (TLS), which are used both by traditional computers and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. It is especially difficult to provide high security to IoT devices, mainly because many of them rely on batteries and are resource constrained in terms of computational power and memory, which implies that specific energy-efficient and lightweight algorithms need to be designed and implemented for them. These restrictions become relevant challenges when implementing cryptosystems that involve intensive mathematical operations and demand substantial computational resources, which are often required in applications where data privacy has to be preserved for the long term, like IoT applications for defense, mission-critical scenarios or smart healthcare. Quantum computing threatens such a long-term IoT device security and researchers are currently developing solutions to mitigate such a threat. This article provides a survey on what can be called post-quantum IoT systems (IoT systems protected from the currently known quantum computing attacks): the main post-quantum cryptosystems and initiatives are reviewed, the most relevant IoT architectures and challenges are analyzed, and the expected future trends are indicated. Thus, this article is aimed at providing a wide view of post-quantum IoT security and give useful guidelines to the future post-quantum IoT developers.
The rapid advancement of quantum computing poses a critical threat to classical cryptographic algorithms such as RSA and ECC, particularly in Internet of Things (IoT) devices, where secure communication is essential but often constrained by limited computational resources. This paper investigates the feasibility of deploying post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms on resource-constrained devices. In particular, we implement three PQC algorithms - BIKE, CRYSTALS-Kyber, and HQC - on a lightweight IoT platform built with Raspberry Pi devices. Leveraging the Open Quantum Safe (liboqs) library in conjunction with mbedTLS, we develop quantumsecure key exchange protocols, and evaluate their performance in terms of computational overhead, memory usage, and energy consumption for quantum secure communication. Experimental results demonstrate that the integration of PQC algorithms on constrained hardware is practical, reinforcing the urgent need for quantum-resilient cryptographic frameworks in next-generation IoT devices. The implementation of this paper is available at https://iqsec-lab.github.io/PQC-IoT/.
The rapid advancement of quantum computing poses a critical threat to classical cryptographic algorithms such as RSA and ECC, particularly in Internet of Things (IoT) devices, where secure communication is essential but often constrained by limited computational resources. This paper investigates the feasibility of deploying post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms on resource-constrained devices. In particular, we implement three PQC algorithms - BIKE, CRYSTALS-Kyber, and HQC - on a lightweight IoT platform built with Raspberry Pi devices. Leveraging the Open Quantum Safe (liboqs) library in conjunction with mbedTLS, we develop quantumsecure key exchange protocols, and evaluate their performance in terms of computational overhead, memory usage, and energy consumption for quantum secure communication. Experimental results demonstrate that the integration of PQC algorithms on constrained hardware is practical, reinforcing the urgent need for quantum-resilient cryptographic frameworks in next-generation IoT devices. The implementation of this paper is available at https://iqsec-lab.github.io/PQC-IoT/.
The increasing ubiquity of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has necessitated robust security measures, especially with the impending threat of quantum computing to conventional cryptographic protocols.In this study, we address the imperative of selecting an optimized post-quantum cryptographic algorithm tailored for implementation on resource-constrained IoT devices while ensuring compliance with stringent security standards.This research employs a comprehensive evaluation framework that considers the unique constraints of IoT devices, including limited computational capabilities and memory resources.Furthermore, our assessment accounts for the diverse security requirements stipulated by prevailing standards to guarantee resilience against both classical and quantum threats.Through a systematic analysis of various post-quantum cryptographic algorithms, encompassing factors such as computational efficiency and resistance to quantum attacks, this study identifies a select set of algorithms that exhibit promising suitability for IoT device deployment.The evaluation considers renowned standards, including NIST's Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization initiative to align with industry best practices and interoperability.The findings presented in this study offer guidance to IoT device manufacturers, system architects, and security practitioners in making informed decisions regarding the adoption of post-quantum cryptographic algorithms.The selected algorithms not only demonstrate adeptness in mitigating quantum threats but also address resource constraints inherent in IoT environments, ensuring a secure foundation for the rapidly expanding ecosystem of interconnected devices.
The rapid advancement of quantum computing poses a critical threat to classical cryptographic algorithms such as RSA and ECC, particularly in Internet of Things (IoT) devices, where secure communication is essential but often constrained by limited computational resources. This paper investigates the feasibility of deploying post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms on resource-constrained devices. In particular, we implement three PQC algorithms -- BIKE, CRYSTALS-Kyber, and HQC -- on a lightweight IoT platform built with Raspberry Pi devices. Leveraging the Open Quantum Safe (\texttt{liboqs}) library in conjunction with \texttt{mbedTLS}, we develop quantum-secure key exchange protocols, and evaluate their performance in terms of computational overhead, memory usage, and energy consumption for quantum secure communication. Experimental results demonstrate that the integration of PQC algorithms on constrained hardware is practical, reinforcing the urgent need for quantum-resilient cryptographic frameworks in next-generation IoT devices. The implementation of this paper is available at https://iqsec-lab.github.io/PQC-IoT/.