Abstract Quantum computing creates new security risks for legacy satellite communication systems, especially for Telemetry, Tracking, and Control (TT&C) links. Hash-Based Signature (HBS) schemes are seen as the safest option for Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) migrations, as they only depend on the collision resistance of hash functions without involving complex security assumptions. But in practice, applying current HBS standards in engineering is tough due to the trade-off between signature size and computational overhead. We solve this problem by proposing CP-WOTS+, an optimization scheme based on checkpoint pre-computation. By introducing a checkpoint mechanism to the signer, we achieved a compact signature of 1088 bytes under the w = 256 parameter set, while reducing the generation time from 7.15 to 0.45 ms (a $$15.9 \times$$ 15.9 × speedup). Building on this primitive, we designed the CP-XMSS-GS group signature scheme for multi-party satellite control. This scheme implements a centralized authorization model that offloads complexity to the ground: the satellite remains strictly stateless (storing only a 64-byte group public key) and just handles verification. Complex member management and traceability are handled by the ground administrator. Experimental results demonstrate that our scheme maintains a small signature size of 1764 bytes and ensures anonymity and traceability, and it requires zero on-orbit updates when members change. Our work provides a highly secure, lightweight post-quantum solution for resource-constrained satellite-ground links.
Abstract Quantum computing creates new security risks for legacy satellite communication systems, especially for Telemetry, Tracking, and Control (TT&C) links. Hash-Based Signature (HBS) schemes are seen as the safest option for Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) migrations, as they only depend on the collision resistance of hash functions without involving complex security assumptions. But in practice, applying current HBS standards in engineering is tough due to the trade-off between signature size and computational overhead. We solve this problem by proposing CP-WOTS+, an optimization scheme based on checkpoint pre-computation. By introducing a checkpoint mechanism to the signer, we achieved a compact signature of 1088 bytes under the w = 256 parameter set, while reducing the generation time from 7.15 to 0.45 ms (a 15.9× 15.9 × speedup). Building on this primitive, we designed the CP-XMSS-GS group signature scheme for multi-party satellite control. This scheme implements a centralized authorization model that offloads complexity to the ground: the satellite remains strictly stateless (storing only a 64-byte group public key) and just handles verification. Complex member management and traceability are handled by the ground administrator. Experimental results demonstrate that our scheme maintains a small signature size of 1764 bytes and ensures anonymity and traceability, and it requires zero on-orbit updates when members change. Our work provides a highly secure, lightweight post-quantum solution for resource-constrained satellite-ground links.
The rapid advancement of quantum computing poses a serious threat to classical digital signature algorithms such as RSA and ECDSA, which rely on mathematical problems vulnerable to quantum attacks. Hash-based digital signatures offer a strong post-quantum alternative due to their reliance on cryptographic hash functions and their resistance to both classical and quantum adversaries. This study evaluates the feasibility of hash-based signatures in lightweight and resource-constrained environments by implementing three representative schemes: Lamport One-Time Signatures (OTS), Winternitz One-Time Signatures (WOTS), and Merkle-WOTS. The analysis focuses on key performance factors relevant to constrained devices, including key size, signature size, signing time, and verification speed. Experimental results show that while Lamport OTS provides conceptual simplicity and WOTS offers improved efficiency, the Merkle-WOTS scheme delivers the most practical balance. It supports multiple signatures under a compact public key while maintaining moderate signature sizes and competitive performance. These findings indicate that Merkle-WOTS is a strong candidate for post-quantum authentication in IoT and other lightweight embedded systems.
Recently, NIST released the quantum cryptography standard, which includes three new encryption algorithms capable of effectively resisting attacks from quantum computers. Experts predict that quantum computers with the ability to break current encryption methods may emerge within the next decade. In particular, the advent of Shor’s algorithm [1] has rendered public-key encryption systems based on factoring and discrete logarithm problems vulnerable. Therefore, the release of the PQC (Post-Quantum Cryptography) standard is especially timely and significant. NIST encourages system administrators to begin integrating these standards into their systems immediately to ensure future security.Among these three new encryption algorithms, SLH-DSA (derived from SPHINCS+ [2]) is a stateless hash-based digital signature scheme. This innovative scheme is designed to provide robust security while maintaining efficiency. In the SLH-DSA signature scheme, the One-Time Signature (OTS) serves as its fundamental building block. This means that improving the OTS directly enhances the overall performance of the SLH-DSA scheme.Hash-based signature schemes are generally constructed using OTS schemes. The underlying OTS scheme plays a crucial role in determining the key size and signature size of hash-based signature schemes. We propose a novel signature scheme that allows partial key reuse while maintaining a minimum quantum security level of 128 bits. Compared to the popular Winternitz OTS scheme [3] [4] [5], our proposed signature scheme demonstrates superior performance in terms of key and signature sizes for the same number of signatures, while still preserving post-quantum security.
The paper offers a novel digital signature scheme that integrates ElGamal cryptographic principles with the Short Integer Solution (SIS) problem, specifically designed to ensure post-quantum security. As quantum computers advance and present significant risks to traditional cryptographic systems, this scheme offers an interesting alternative for securing digital signatures against potential quantum threats. The scheme uses only basic secure principles. The offered approach offers key generation, where parameters and random matrices are selected, and signature generation, which involves creating signatures based on hashed messages and matrix computations. Verification ensures the authenticity and integrity of signatures. We provide experimental evaluations detailing key generation, signature creation, and verification times across different matrix dimensions and message sizes. Key generation takes between 2.5–10.2 seconds, while signature generation ranges from 0.20 to 9.30 milliseconds and verification from 0.18 to 8.90 milliseconds, depending on message size and matrix dimension. The scheme maintains a consistent signature size of 1.7 KB, independent of message length due to a hash-and-sign strategy. These results demonstrate that the scheme balances post-quantum security with practical performance, especially in high-security contexts. A comparison with traditional ElGamal encryption reveals the trade-offs between security and efficiency. While the SIS-based scheme delivers enhanced protection against quantum threats, it also entails increased computational complexity and larger signature sizes compared to conventional schemes. Overall, our proposed digital signature scheme stands as an excellent option for safe communications in a post-quantum world, representing a crucial step in protecting the authenticity and integrity of digital exchanges against changing technological risks. We believe that as quantum computing continues to develop, research into robust cryptographic alternatives will become increasingly important for safeguarding sensitive information across various sectors.
Satellite communication networks play a critical role in providing connectivity to remote regions and areas with limited infrastructure. However, their inherently open nature and physical exposure make them particularly susceptible to security threats, including replay, impersonation, and man-in- the-middle attacks. The emergence of quantum computing further undermines the robustness of conventional cryptographic schemes that rely on number-theoretic assumptions. To mitigate these challenges, this article proposesHBQS, a lightweight post-quantum authentication framework designed for satellite platforms with limited resources.HBQSintegrates Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) with hash-based cryptography, leveraging SPHINCS+ digital signatures and SHA-3 hashing to provide secure mutual authentication and session key establishment. The protocolHBQSwas implemented and evaluated on embedded hardware platforms, including Raspberry Pi 4.0, PYNQ-Z2 FPGA, and a Dell ground control station. The experimental results demonstrate thatHBQSachieves mutual authentication in 0.88 ms, offering an approximately 67% reduction in execution time compared to representative baselines from the prior literature. Entropy analysis confirms that the proposed protocol maintains a high entropy across critical components, withHBQSachieving a signature entropy of 164.63 bits and PUF response entropy of 172.58 bits, indicating strong resistance to statistical and modeling attacks. A formal security analysis conducted within the Random Oracle Model demonstrates semantic security against both classical and quantum adversaries. The protocolHBQSshows a significant improvement over existing methods, achieving approximately 67% reduction in computational execution time, approximately 11.5% faster user-side handshake time, approximately 0.6% improvement on the satellite side and full security coverage across all evaluated security features with only a 21.4% increase in static memory usage as the trade-off. These findings positionHBQSas an efficient, secure, and scalable authentication solution for next-generation satellite communication systems operating in the post-quantum era.
Conventional public-key cryptographic systems are increasingly threatened by advances in quantum computing, accelerating the need for robust post-quantum cryptographic solutions. Among these, Falcon, a compact lattice-based digital signature scheme, has emerged as a leading candidate in the NIST post-quantum standardization process due to its efficiency and theoretical security grounded in hard lattice problems. This work introduces Falcon-M, a modified version of the Falcon algorithm that significantly reduces implementation complexity. It does so by replacing Falcon’s intricate trapdoor-based key-generation mechanism with a simplified approach that utilizes randomized polynomial Gaussian sampling and fast Fourier transform (FFT) operations. Falcon-M incorporates SHA-512 hashing and discrete Gaussian sampling to preserve cryptographic soundness and statistical randomness while maintaining the core structure of Falcon’s signing and verification processes. We formally specify the Falcon-M algorithm, provide an updated pseudocode, and offer a comparative analysis with the original Falcon in terms of algorithmic complexity, security assumptions, and implementation overhead. Additionally, we present formal lemmas and theorems to ensure correctness and define theoretical bounds on forgery resistance. Although Falcon-M does not rely on a formal cryptographic trapdoor, we demonstrate that it achieves strong practical security based on assumptions related to the Short Integer Solution (SIS) problem. Falcon-M is thus well-suited for lightweight post-quantum applications, particularly in resource-constrained environments, such as embedded systems and Internet-of-Things (IoT) platforms.
ABSTRACT Quantum computing poses a looming threat to the cryptographic primitives that secure today's satellite communications. In response, post‐quantum cryptography (PQC) has emerged to protect data against future quantum‐enabled adversaries. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of lattice‐based PQC methods for secure satellite communication in the post‐quantum era. We examine the performance and security of leading lattice‐based schemes—including encryption/key‐establishment algorithms like CRYSTALS‐Kyber and NTRU, and digital signature schemes like CRYSTALS‐Dilithium and FALCON—in the context of satellite systems. Real‐world benchmark data from peer‐reviewed sources are used to evaluate computational efficiency, bandwidth overhead, memory footprint, and energy consumption of these schemes on resource‐constrained satellite hardware. We compare lattice‐based approaches with classical RSA/ECC and alternative post‐quantum techniques (hash‐based signatures, code‐based encryption), highlighting the favorable trade‐offs that have led to lattice‐based algorithms becoming primary candidates for standardization. Security analysis is presented to explain the hardness assumptions (e.g., Learning With Errors and NTRU problems) that underpin lattice cryptography, and to assess known cryptanalytic results, resistance to quantum attacks, and remaining security margins. We also discuss practical considerations for deploying lattice‐based cryptography on satellites, including integration into existing communication protocols, potential need for hardware acceleration, and strategies for cryptographic agility in long‐lived space assets. The results show that lattice‐based PQC can be feasibly implemented in satellites with acceptable performance impact, providing strong security against quantum threats and a viable path to future‐proof the confidentiality and authenticity of satellite communications.