As the development of quantum computers becomes a reality, concerns about the security of classical cryptography are growing. In the case of signature schemes, integrity must be guaranteed for a sufficient period of time after their generation. However, during the transition to the post-quantum era, it is difficult to guarantee the integrity of signatures previously generated using classical cryptography. In this paper, we design a quantum-secure timestamp that is secure even in the quantum era, utilizing a Time Stamping Authority, even for general users who cannot use post-quantum signatures, and we propose a transformation technique to enhance the security of classical signatures. Also, we focus on the security of classical signatures and the generation of hybrid signatures in the specific context of the transition between classical and post-quantum environments by defining the transition point based on quantum resistance. Finally, we analyze the security and performance of our timestamp scheme and demonstrate that it can guarantee the integrity of signed messages both now and in the post-quantum era.
As the development of quantum computers becomes a reality, concerns about the security of classical cryptography are growing. In the case of signature schemes, integrity must be guaranteed for a sufficient period of time after their generation. However, during the transition to the post-quantum era, it is difficult to guarantee the integrity of signatures previously generated using classical cryptography. In this paper, we design a quantum-secure timestamp that is secure even in the quantum era, utilizing a Time Stamping Authority, even for general users who cannot use post-quantum signatures, and we propose a transformation technique to enhance the security of classical signatures. Also, we focus on the security of classical signatures and the generation of hybrid signatures in the specific context of the transition between classical and post-quantum environments by defining the transition point based on quantum resistance. Finally, we analyze the security and performance of our timestamp scheme and demonstrate that it can guarantee the integrity of signed messages both now and in the post-quantum era.
This article introduces a solution of secure digital archiving in the post-quantum era. The basic tool at secure digital archiving of the electronic documents is the signature schemes, which are used at creation of the certificates and the timestamps. This article deals with the question of security of the signature schemes in the post-quantum era and introduces the post-quantum signature schemes, which will be resistant to the attacks leading by both conventional and quantum computers. The conventional signature schemes, based on factorization or discrete logarithm problem, in case of implementing the Shor algorithm on a quantum computer will be easy to break through. The main point of this article is the proposal of the solution of secure digital archiving with using the secure post-quantum signature schemes.
Public-key cryptography (PKC) provides confidentiality, data integrity, and user authentication. Particularly, nonrepudiation, authentication and integrity of transmitted messages are assured by public-key (PK) signature schemes. Since the presence of a large scale quantum computer would be a real threat to break currently used PK cryptographic algorithms, all security protocols based on the PK cryptographic algorithms are vulnerable to quantum-computer attacks. It needs to investigate possible alternatives, post-quantum cryptography (PQC), believed to be resistant to attacks from both classical and quantum computers. All the traditional PKC should be replaced with PQC for secure communications in post-quantum era. In this work, we evaluate the post-quantum signature schemes in terms of various metrics, performance, signature/key sizes, energy consumption, resistance to implementation attacks and adaptability to Internet protocols. We then investigate their suitability for Internet of Things based on these metrics.
Asymmetric cryptography plays a critical role in the security, authenticity and sustainability of widely used electronic documents on a level comparable to the security and authenticity of a traditional paper documents in transport and logistics. However, security of the majority of the asymmetric cryptographic techniques currently in use, including those used to confirm the validity of electronic documents, will be compromised due to the forthcoming development of quantum computers. The concept of a quantum computer is no longer just a theory. The race for supremacy in quantum technology is on among countries since it is the most drastic technology in the world. On a large enough quantum computer, an attacker can easily generate fake digital signatures by applying Shor’s algorithm. Digital communications and electronic transactions could be devoid of the guarantee of authenticity and non-repudiation if this vulnerability is not addressed. Post-quantum cryptography strives to provide useful techniques that are resistant to attacks utilizing quantum computers in order to address the threat to existing asymmetric cryptography. In this research, we examine the current post-quantum digital signature algorithms used to confirm the validity of an electronic document in addition to comprehending the utilization of digital signing. Overall, we conclude that in order to define the next generation of electronic documents and to address the quantum threat, it is crucial to standardize a quantum-resistant digital signature scheme.
Signatures are primarily used as a mark of authenticity, to demonstrate that the sender of a message is who they claim to be. In the current digital age, signatures underpin trust in the vast majority of information that we exchange, particularly on public networks such as the internet. However, schemes for signing digital information, which are based on assumptions of computational complexity, are facing challenges from advances in mathematics, the capability of computers, and the advent of the quantum era. Here, the authors present a review of digital signature schemes, looking at their origins and where they are under threat. Next, the authors introduce post-quantum digital schemes, which are being developed with the specific intent of mitigating against threats from quantum algorithms while still relying on digital processes and infrastructure. Finally, the authors review schemes for signing information carried on quantum channels, which promise provable security metrics. Signatures were invented as a practical means of authenticating communications, and it is important that the practicality of novel signature schemes is considered carefully, which is kept as a common theme of interest throughout this review.
As the quantum computing era approaches, securing classical cryptographic protocols becomes imperative. Public key cryptography is widely used for signature and key exchange but it’s the type of cryptography more threatened by quantum computing. Its application typically requires support via a public-key certificate, which is a signed data structure and must therefore face twice the quantum challenge: for the certified keys and for the signature itself. We present the latest developments in selecting robust Post-Quantum algorithms and investigate their applicability in the Public Key Infrastructure context. Our contribution entails defining requirements for a secure transition to a quantum-resistant Public Key Infrastructure, with a focus on adaptations for the X.509 certificate format. Additionally, we explore transitioning Certificate Revocation List and Online Certificate Status Protocol to support quantum-resistant algorithms. Through comparative analysis, we elucidate the complex transition to a quantum-resistant PKI.
The fast-growing development of quantum computing is a great threat to classical cryptographic protocols underpinning the security of blockchain networks. The use of quantum attacks on algorithms, like RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) used to perform digital signatures and verify transactions, is susceptible to the quantum attack, especially the Shor algorithm. This is an emerging risk that casts doubt on long term reliability and trustworthiness of blockchain systems in their various applications in the fields of finance to the field of healthcare. To overcome this difficulty, new cryptographic primitives exist, developed by the field of post quantum cryptography (PQC), which resist quantum computational power, such as lattice based, hash based, multivariate and code based. This paper examines how quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms can be implemented into blockchain architecture, and how their security, scalability, and performance impacts can be assessed. Moreover, there are hybrid schemes that adapt classical and quantum safe schemes are taken as the transitional schemes to make backward compatibility. This study identifies practical avenues towards realising quantum resilient blockchain systems that are capable of supporting security in the post quantum era by analysing and comparing their possible implementations.