Cyberagentur launches a third research project on side-channel resistance in post-quantum cryptology (PQC)
The Agentur für Innovation in der Cybersicherheit GmbH (Cyberagentur) is expanding its program for future-proof cryptography to a total of three SCA4PQC research projects. The aim is to protect quantum-resistant cryptographic implementations against both algorithmic and side-channel attacks, for example by evaluating power consumption, runtime or electromagnetic signals. The program thus addresses a central challenge: the security of cryptographic systems in practical use.
The new QUEST project in the SCA4PQC program is led by Bearing Point GmbH and carried out together with the four subcontractors Rhine-Main University of Applied Sciences, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, NTU Singapore and Chelpis. The project aims to advance a holistic approach to defending against side-channel attacks on common platforms used in the Internet of Things (IoT) through a practical approach and to provide this as an open test environment over the course of the project.
The consortium complements the side-channel analysis with fault injection attacks, which is a key innovation feature that examines both methods in combined scenarios in order to consider a strong attacker model. The chosen Red/Blue team approach promises to iteratively develop new attack methods and effective countermeasures, extending secure PQC implementations of ARM and RISC-V to system-on-a-chip (SoC) widely used in Europe.
With the progress of quantum technologies, the migration to post-quantum cryptography is becoming increasingly important. “Even theoretically provably secure algorithms can fail in practice if side channels are not additionally secured holistically,” emphasizes program manager Dr. Matthias Minihold, underlining the strategic value of the projects. The approaches developed in the SCA4PQC program combine protection against classic and quantum-based attacks with robust protection against physical side channels. The combination of advanced countermeasure development and testing of resilient hardware is crucial for the security of future digital infrastructures.
During the SCA4PQC call, the Cyberagentur has succeeded in mobilizing leading international research institutions to develop novel implementations of side-channel resistant post-quantum cryptography that will benefit the digital sovereignty of Europe, and Germany in particular.
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