Quantum Resistant Cryptographic Protocols

Cybersecurity is regarded as a high priority for governments and individuals today. With the practical realization of quantum computers just around the corner, classical cryptographic schemes in use today will no longer provide security in the presence of such technology. Therefore, cryptography based on “Post-Quantum” (PQ) techniques (that resists attacks by quantum computers) is a central goal for future cryptosystems and their applications.

Lattice-based cryptography, which is considered as the main branch of PQ cryptography, has recently reached the stage of practicality. Several basic practical lattice-based encryption and authentication schemes known are now being submitted for standardization, including [Titanium]. This project aims at designing schemes which preserve practicality but enjoy much stronger security guarantees compared with the alternative efficient schemes, by using a new hard computational problem called Middle-Product Learning With Errors (MPLWE).  Hence, the specific objectives of this project are to:

• Investigate efficient PQ advanced cryptographic primitives and protocols, in particular homomorphic commitment schemes and compatible zero-knowledge proofs for relations of interest in applications.
• Explore the potential applications/implementation of the derived primitives designed in the first objective in the areas like practical e-cash/cryptocurrencies, and e-voting.