Due to the development of quantum computers and quantum methods and algorithms, in order to ensure the security of information after the development of cryptographically relevant quantum computers, NIST conducted the NIST PQC competition. As a result of conducting three rounds of NIST PQC, NIST selected 4 candidates for standardization and four candidates for the fourth round (key encapsulation mechanisms BIKE, Classic McEliece, HQC, and SIKE (which the developers considered unreliable)). Due to the fact that selected algorithms are based on the use of lattices and to add diversity to this list through the use of general-purpose signatures, the process of standardizing additional digital signatures for quantum-resistant cryptography has been initiated. The following types of signatures are considered for the first round of this standardization process: code-based signatures, isogeny signatures, multivariate signatures, symmetric signatures, MPC-in-the-head, and NIST-defined "other" signatures. These "other" digital signatures are mostly based on new and promising post-quantum (quantum-resistant) problems. The purpose of the work is to analyze and compare candidates for quantum-resistant digital signatures, based on new and promising quantum-resistant problems, resistant to classical and quantum attacks and side-channel attacks. The paper provides comparison of four digital signatures classified by NIST as "other", namely: ALTEQ, eMLE-Sig 2.0, KAZ-SIGN, Xifrat1-Sign.I. For this purpose, the paper presents the basic principles of each of these digital signatures, their main parameters and available at the time of consideration attack vectors. The paper also provides unconditional criteria necessary for comparison. Digital signatures were compared according to such unconditional criteria as: possible lengths of the public key, possible lengths of the personal (secret) key, length of the result of cryptographic algorithm; and conclusions are made regarding the completeness of given comparison and the possibility of further research is highlighted.
Due to the development of quantum computers and quantum methods and algorithms, in order to ensure the security of information after the development of cryptographically relevant quantum computers, NIST conducted the NIST PQC competition. As a result of conducting three rounds of NIST PQC, NIST selected 4 candidates for standardization and four candidates for the fourth round (key encapsulation mechanisms BIKE, Classic McEliece, HQC, and SIKE (which the developers considered unreliable)). Due to the fact that selected algorithms are based on the use of lattices and to add diversity to this list through the use of general-purpose signatures, the process of standardizing additional digital signatures for quantum-resistant cryptography has been initiated. The following types of signatures are considered for the first round of this standardization process: code-based signatures, isogeny signatures, multivariate signatures, symmetric signatures, MPC-in-the-head, and NIST-defined "other" signatures. These "other" digital signatures are mostly based on new and promising post-quantum (quantum-resistant) problems. The purpose of the work is to analyze and compare candidates for quantum-resistant digital signatures, based on new and promising quantum-resistant problems, resistant to classical and quantum attacks and side-channel attacks. The paper provides comparison of four digital signatures classified by NIST as "other", namely: ALTEQ, eMLE-Sig 2.0, KAZ-SIGN, Xifrat1-Sign.I. For this purpose, the paper presents the basic principles of each of these digital signatures, their main parameters and available at the time of consideration attack vectors. The paper also provides unconditional criteria necessary for comparison. Digital signatures were compared according to such unconditional criteria as: possible lengths of the public key, possible lengths of the personal (secret) key, length of the result of cryptographic algorithm; and conclusions are made regarding the completeness of given comparison and the possibility of further research is highlighted.
In recent years, there has been steady progress in the creation of quantum computers. If large-scale quantum computers are implemented, they will threaten the security of many widely used public-key cryptosystems. Key-establishment schemes and digital signatures based on factorization, discrete logarithms, and elliptic curve cryptography will be most affected. Symmetric cryptographic primitives such as block ciphers and hash functions will be broken only slightly. As a result, there has been an intensification of research on finding public-key cryptosystems that would be secure against cryptanalysts with both quantum and classical computers. This area is often called post-quantum cryptography (PQC), or sometimes quantum-resistant cryptography. The goal is to design schemes that can be deployed in existing communication networks and protocols without significant changes. The National Institute of Standards and Technology is in the process of selecting one or more public-key cryptographic algorithms through an open competition. New public-key cryptography standards will define one or more additional digital signatures, public-key encryption, and key-establishment algorithms. It is assumed that these algorithms will be able to protect confidential information well in the near future, including after the advent of quantum computers. After three rounds of evaluation and analysis, NIST has selected the first algorithms that will be standardized as a result of the PQC standardization process. The purpose of this article is to review and analyze the state of NIST's post-quantum cryptography standardization evaluation and selection process. The article summarizes each of the 15 candidate algorithms from the third round and identifies the algorithms selected for standardization, as well as those that will continue to be evaluated in the fourth round of analysis. Although the third round is coming to an end and NIST will begin developing the first PQC standards, standardization efforts in this area will continue for some time. This should not be interpreted as meaning that users should wait to adopt post-quantum algorithms. NIST looks forward to the rapid implementation of these first standardized algorithms and will issue future guidance on the transition. The transition will undoubtedly have many complexities, and there will be challenges for some use cases such as IoT devices or certificate transparency.
Information security is a fundamental and urgent issue in the digital transformation era. Cryptographic techniques and digital signatures have been applied to protect and authenticate relevant information. However, with the advent of quantum computers and quantum algorithms, classical cryptographic techniques have been in danger of collapsing because quantum computers can solve complex problems in polynomial time. Stemming from that risk, researchers worldwide have stepped up research on post-quantum algorithms to resist attack by quantum computers. In this review paper, we survey studies in recent years on post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and provide statistics on the number and content of publications, including a literature overview, detailed explanations of the most common methods so far, current implementation status, implementation comparisons, and discussion on future work. These studies focused on essential public cryptography techniques and digital signature schemes, and the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) launched a competition to select the best candidate for the expected standard. Recent studies have practically implemented the public key encryption/key encapsulation mechanism (PKE/KEM) and digital signature schemes on different hardware platforms and applied various optimization measures based on other criteria. Along with the increasing number of scientific publications, the recent trend of PQC research is increasingly evident and is the general trend in the cryptography industry. The movement opens up a promising avenue for researchers in public key cryptography and digital signatures, especially on algorithms selected by NIST.
Abstract It is viewed as revolutionary technology, offering incredible potential in terms of computing power within different scientific and industrial sectors. Quantum computers provide remarkable computing power; however, they also present significant security risks to existing public-key cryptography systems used to secure digital communication, online banking systems, government, medical applications, cloud computing systems, and IoT systems. Security of commonly used encryption schemes like RSA, DH, and ECC depends on mathematical problems that are impossible for classical computers to solve but can be easily resolved with the help of powerful enough quantum computers by using Shor’s algorithm. Furthermore, Grover’s algorithm makes exhaustive search attacks much faster, thus effectively lowering the security level of symmetric encryption schemes since it provides the speed-up for brute-force attacks. Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) turned out to be an effective and scalable method to protect digital data from attacks using quantum computing. In contrast to quantum cryptography, which requires a special quantum communication channel, PQC uses classical cryptographic algorithms that cannot be broken down by either classical or quantum computer due to certain mathematical problems. This research paper offers an extensive exploration of post-quantum cryptography through the analysis of the development of quantum computing, weaknesses of current cryptographic techniques, and mathematics behind quantum-resistant algorithms. Moreover, this paper explores the major classes of PQC techniques such as lattice-based, code-based, hash-based, multivariate, and isogeny-based cryptography and provides details about their security and application. Moreover, the report gives an overview of the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Project and analyzes recent standardizations of quantum-proof algorithms to be utilized in future digital infrastructures. Keywords: Post-Quantum Encryption, Quantum Security, Quantum-Proof Public-Key Cryptography, Lattice-Based Security Protocols, ML-KEM Key Encapsulation Mechanism, ML-DSA Digital Signature Algorithm, NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography, Contemporary Cybersecurity, Secure Communications, Cryptographic Algorithms.
The advent of quantum computing poses a significant threat to current cryptographic systems, particularly public-key algorithms such as RSA and ECC, which are vulnerable to quantum attacks like Shor's algorithm. Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) aims to develop and standardize quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms to secure digital communications in the quantum era. This paper examines the current landscape of PQC, focusing on the evaluation and standardization efforts led by organizations such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). We analyze the major families of quantum-resistant algorithms, including lattice-based, hash-based, code-based, multivariate, and isogeny-based cryptography, discussing their security guarantees, performance trade-offs, and implementation challenges. Furthermore, we review NIST's PQC standardization process, highlighting selected finalists and alternate candidates, and explore the ongoing transition challenges in adopting these algorithms across industries. Finally, we discuss future directions for PQC research, including hybrid cryptographic systems and the need for continued cryptanalysis to ensure long-term security. This work provides a comprehensive overview of the progress and challenges in deploying quantum-resistant cryptography to safeguard against emerging quantum threats.
Currently, digital signature techniques used in public key infrastructure are based on challenges such as discrete logarithms and integer factorization. The introduction of quantum computers poses significant risks to these algorithms, since they may be able to solve the aforementioned problems faster than existing computers. Hostile assaults and security flaws might put the entire Internet’s security infrastructure in danger. In the era of quantum computing, protecting digital networking requires adopting a quantum-resistant perspective. One area of cryptography that aims to address the looming security problems that quantum computing is bringing about is post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Its goal is to reduce the risks associated with the current encryption and digital signature technologies. To ensure information security in the era of quantum computing, the NIST is actively involved in standardizing and collaborating on these initiatives. Our survey conducts a study to assess the readiness of post-quantum digital signatures to ensure data security during storage and transport. It also provides an extensive analysis of performance metrics for the 3rdNIST candidates of PQC digital signature algorithms, including key sizes and execution times.
Public key cryptography plays a pivotal role in maintaining digital security and privacy, with its foundations built on the hardness of certain mathematical problems. However, the emergence of quantum computing threatens the security of current cryptographic systems, making the adoption of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) an urgent necessity. Digital signature schemes are essential components in secure communications, providing authentication, non-repudiation, and data integrity. This paper examines the state of post-quantum digital signature schemes across various cryptographic approaches, including lattice-based, code-based, multivariate polynomial-based, hash-based, symmetric-key-based, and isogeny-based systems, alongside advancements in Multi-Party Computation in the Head (MPC-in-the-head) schemes. The paper then explores application-specific signatures such as blind, undeniable, threshold, chameleon, aggregate, and ring signatures, explaining their main use cases and the existing post-quantum cryptographic classifications that support these constructions individually. Software implementations of selected prominent PQC digital signature schemes were carried out, and their performance was systematically analysed using metrics such as bandwidth consumption, latency, and computational efficiency. These results provide key observations regarding the suitability of different schemes for both resource-constrained and high-performance environments. Subsequently, a detailed literature review of implementations on embedded and hardware platforms is presented, focusing on ARM-based devices and FPGA accelerators to evaluate deployment feasibility beyond general-purpose processors. Based on the software and implementation-level findings, a comparative analysis across software, embedded, and hardware platforms is conducted to highlight architectural influences on performance, scalability, and practicality. Furthermore the cryptanalytic attacks on post-quantum digital signature schemes across various PQC classifications are examined in this paper, taking into account both classical and quantum adversarial models. To evaluate realistic security constraints, implementation-oriented vulnerabilities such as side-channel and fault-based attacks are also examined. In addition, the applicability of post-quantum digital signature schemes within TLS, IoT, and related practical deployment scenarios is analysed. The study also discusses possible directions for further investigation, focusing on the requirement for effective and expandable PQC systems that can satisfy changing cybersecurity requirements. In order to protect sensitive data in the digital era, this study emphasizes the need for implementing quantum-secure systems by fusing theoretical understandings with real-world applications.