Quantum-Safe Cryptography Systems
Design cryptographic systems resistant to quantum computer attacks using post-quantum algorithms and migration strategies
The Quantum Threat to Cryptography
Quantum computers pose an existential threat to current cryptographic systems. Shor's algorithm can break RSA, ECDSA, and other public key systems in polynomial time, while Grover's algorithm effectively halves the security of symmetric ciphers. Organizations must transition to quantum-safe cryptography now to protect against "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks.
Current Risk
RSA-2048 breakable by sufficiently large quantum computer
Timeline
NIST estimates 10-20 years for cryptographically relevant quantum computers
Solution
Post-quantum cryptography standards finalized by NIST
Quantum-Safe Cryptography Calculator
Quantum Resistance Analysis
Excellent quantum resistance with optimal migration strategy.
Post-Quantum Cryptographic Algorithms
Lattice-Based
- • CRYSTALS-Kyber (Key Encapsulation)
- • CRYSTALS-Dilithium (Digital Signatures)
- • FALCON (Compact Signatures)
- • NTRU (Key Exchange)
Hash-Based
- • SPHINCS+ (Stateless Signatures)
- • XMSS (Extended Merkle Signatures)
- • LMS (Leighton-Micali Signatures)
- • HSS (Hierarchical Signature System)
Code-Based
- • Classic McEliece (Key Encapsulation)
- • BIKE (Bit Flipping Key Encapsulation)
- • HQC (Hamming Quasi-Cyclic)
- • ROLLO (Rank Quasi-Cyclic)
Multivariate
- • Rainbow (Digital Signatures)
- • GeMSS (Great Multivariate Short Signature)
- • LUOV (Lifted Unbalanced Oil Vinegar)
- • MQDSS (Multivariate Quadratic Digital Signature)
Implementation Examples
Hybrid Classical-Quantum Safe Key Exchange
import os
import hashlib
from cryptography.hazmat.primitives import hashes
from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.kdf.hkdf import HKDF
from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.asymmetric import rsa, padding
from pqcrypto.kem.kyber512 import generate_keypair, encrypt, decrypt
class HybridKeyExchange:
def __init__(self):
self.classical_private_key = None
self.classical_public_key = None
self.pq_private_key = None
self.pq_public_key = None
def generate_keys(self):
"""Generate both classical and post-quantum key pairs"""
# Classical RSA key pair
self.classical_private_key = rsa.generate_private_key(
public_exponent=65537,
key_size=3072
)
self.classical_public_key = self.classical_private_key.public_key()
# Post-quantum Kyber key pair
self.pq_public_key, self.pq_private_key = generate_keypair()
return {
'classical_public': self.classical_public_key,
'pq_public': self.pq_public_key
}
def initiate_key_exchange(self, peer_public_keys):
"""Initiate hybrid key exchange"""
# Generate random session key material
session_material = os.urandom(64)
# Encrypt with classical algorithm
classical_ciphertext = peer_public_keys['classical_public'].encrypt(
session_material[:32],
padding.OAEP(
mgf=padding.MGF1(algorithm=hashes.SHA256()),
algorithm=hashes.SHA256(),
label=None
)
)
# Encrypt with post-quantum algorithm
pq_ciphertext, pq_shared_secret = encrypt(peer_public_keys['pq_public'])
# Combine shared secrets
combined_secret = self._combine_secrets(
session_material[32:],
pq_shared_secret
)
return {
'classical_ciphertext': classical_ciphertext,
'pq_ciphertext': pq_ciphertext,
'shared_secret': combined_secret
}
def complete_key_exchange(self, ciphertexts):
"""Complete hybrid key exchange"""
# Decrypt classical part
classical_secret = self.classical_private_key.decrypt(
ciphertexts['classical_ciphertext'],
padding.OAEP(
mgf=padding.MGF1(algorithm=hashes.SHA256()),
algorithm=hashes.SHA256(),
label=None
)
)
# Decrypt post-quantum part
pq_shared_secret = decrypt(
ciphertexts['pq_ciphertext'],
self.pq_private_key
)
# Combine shared secrets
combined_secret = self._combine_secrets(classical_secret, pq_shared_secret)
return combined_secret
def _combine_secrets(self, classical_secret, pq_secret):
"""Securely combine classical and post-quantum shared secrets"""
# Use HKDF to derive final shared key
hkdf = HKDF(
algorithm=hashes.SHA256(),
length=32,
salt=None,
info=b'hybrid-key-exchange',
)
combined = classical_secret + pq_secret
return hkdf.derive(combined)
# Usage example
def establish_secure_channel():
# Initialize parties
alice = HybridKeyExchange()
bob = HybridKeyExchange()
# Generate key pairs
alice_public = alice.generate_keys()
bob_public = bob.generate_keys()
# Perform key exchange
alice_exchange = alice.initiate_key_exchange(bob_public)
bob_secret = bob.complete_key_exchange(alice_exchange)
alice_secret = alice_exchange['shared_secret']
# Verify shared secret
assert alice_secret == bob_secret
print(f"Secure channel established with {len(alice_secret)*8}-bit shared key")
return alice_secret
if __name__ == "__main__":
shared_key = establish_secure_channel()
Quantum-Safe Digital Signature System
import crypto from 'crypto';
import { SignatureManager } from './signature_manager';
interface QuantumSafeConfig {
classicalAlgorithm: 'RSA' | 'ECDSA';
postQuantumAlgorithm: 'Dilithium' | 'FALCON' | 'SPHINCS+';
keySize: number;
securityLevel: 128 | 192 | 256;
hybridMode: boolean;
}
interface SignatureBundle {
classicalSignature?: Buffer;
postQuantumSignature: Buffer;
timestamp: number;
algorithm: string;
metadata: SignatureMetadata;
}
interface SignatureMetadata {
keyId: string;
version: string;
securityLevel: number;
quantumSafe: boolean;
expirationTime?: number;
}
class QuantumSafeSignatureSystem {
private config: QuantumSafeConfig;
private keyManager: KeyManager;
private signatureManager: SignatureManager;
constructor(config: QuantumSafeConfig) {
this.config = config;
this.keyManager = new KeyManager(config);
this.signatureManager = new SignatureManager();
}
async generateKeyPair(): Promise<{
privateKey: Buffer;
publicKey: Buffer;
keyId: string;
}> {
const keyId = this.generateKeyId();
// Generate post-quantum key pair
const pqKeyPair = await this.generatePostQuantumKeyPair();
let classicalKeyPair;
if (this.config.hybridMode) {
// Generate classical key pair for hybrid mode
classicalKeyPair = await this.generateClassicalKeyPair();
}
const keyBundle = {
keyId,
postQuantum: pqKeyPair,
classical: classicalKeyPair,
config: this.config,
createdAt: Date.now()
};
return {
privateKey: this.serializePrivateKey(keyBundle),
publicKey: this.serializePublicKey(keyBundle),
keyId
};
}
async sign(
message: Buffer,
privateKey: Buffer
): Promise<SignatureBundle> {
const keyBundle = this.deserializePrivateKey(privateKey);
const messageHash = this.hashMessage(message);
const signature: SignatureBundle = {
postQuantumSignature: await this.signWithPostQuantum(
messageHash,
keyBundle.postQuantum.privateKey
),
timestamp: Date.now(),
algorithm: `${this.config.postQuantumAlgorithm}-${this.config.securityLevel}`,
metadata: {
keyId: keyBundle.keyId,
version: '1.0',
securityLevel: this.config.securityLevel,
quantumSafe: true
}
};
// Add classical signature if in hybrid mode
if (this.config.hybridMode && keyBundle.classical) {
signature.classicalSignature = await this.signWithClassical(
messageHash,
keyBundle.classical.privateKey
);
}
return signature;
}
async verify(
message: Buffer,
signature: SignatureBundle,
publicKey: Buffer
): Promise<boolean> {
try {
const keyBundle = this.deserializePublicKey(publicKey);
const messageHash = this.hashMessage(message);
// Verify post-quantum signature
const pqValid = await this.verifyPostQuantumSignature(
messageHash,
signature.postQuantumSignature,
keyBundle.postQuantum.publicKey
);
if (!pqValid) {
return false;
}
// Verify classical signature if present
if (signature.classicalSignature && keyBundle.classical) {
const classicalValid = await this.verifyClassicalSignature(
messageHash,
signature.classicalSignature,
keyBundle.classical.publicKey
);
if (!classicalValid) {
return false;
}
}
// Verify signature metadata
return this.verifyMetadata(signature.metadata, keyBundle);
} catch (error) {
console.error('Signature verification failed:', error);
return false;
}
}
private async generatePostQuantumKeyPair() {
switch (this.config.postQuantumAlgorithm) {
case 'Dilithium':
return this.generateDilithiumKeyPair();
case 'FALCON':
return this.generateFalconKeyPair();
case 'SPHINCS+':
return this.generateSphincsKeyPair();
default:
throw new Error(`Unsupported post-quantum algorithm: ${this.config.postQuantumAlgorithm}`);
}
}
private async generateDilithiumKeyPair() {
// Dilithium key generation (simplified)
const seedLength = this.config.securityLevel / 8;
const seed = crypto.randomBytes(seedLength);
// This would use actual Dilithium implementation
return {
privateKey: crypto.randomBytes(2528), // Dilithium-2 private key size
publicKey: crypto.randomBytes(1312), // Dilithium-2 public key size
algorithm: 'Dilithium-2'
};
}
private async signWithPostQuantum(
messageHash: Buffer,
privateKey: Buffer
): Promise<Buffer> {
// Implementation would use actual post-quantum signature library
// This is a placeholder that demonstrates the interface
const context = crypto.createHash('sha256');
context.update(messageHash);
context.update(privateKey);
return context.digest();
}
private async verifyPostQuantumSignature(
messageHash: Buffer,
signature: Buffer,
publicKey: Buffer
): Promise<boolean> {
// Implementation would use actual post-quantum verification
try {
const context = crypto.createHash('sha256');
context.update(messageHash);
context.update(publicKey);
const expectedSignature = context.digest();
return crypto.timingSafeEqual(signature, expectedSignature);
} catch {
return false;
}
}
private hashMessage(message: Buffer): Buffer {
// Use SHA-3 for better quantum resistance
return crypto.createHash('sha3-256').update(message).digest();
}
private generateKeyId(): string {
return crypto.randomBytes(16).toString('hex');
}
private verifyMetadata(
metadata: SignatureMetadata,
keyBundle: any
): boolean {
// Verify signature hasn't expired
if (metadata.expirationTime && Date.now() > metadata.expirationTime) {
return false;
}
// Verify key ID matches
if (metadata.keyId !== keyBundle.keyId) {
return false;
}
// Verify quantum-safe requirement
if (!metadata.quantumSafe) {
return false;
}
return true;
}
// Additional methods for classical signature operations
private async generateClassicalKeyPair() {
if (this.config.classicalAlgorithm === 'RSA') {
const keyPair = crypto.generateKeyPairSync('rsa', {
modulusLength: this.config.keySize,
publicKeyEncoding: { type: 'spki', format: 'der' },
privateKeyEncoding: { type: 'pkcs8', format: 'der' }
});
return {
privateKey: keyPair.privateKey as Buffer,
publicKey: keyPair.publicKey as Buffer,
algorithm: 'RSA'
};
}
throw new Error(`Unsupported classical algorithm: ${this.config.classicalAlgorithm}`);
}
private serializePrivateKey(keyBundle: any): Buffer {
return Buffer.from(JSON.stringify(keyBundle));
}
private serializePublicKey(keyBundle: any): Buffer {
const publicBundle = {
keyId: keyBundle.keyId,
postQuantum: { publicKey: keyBundle.postQuantum.publicKey },
classical: keyBundle.classical ? { publicKey: keyBundle.classical.publicKey } : undefined,
config: this.config
};
return Buffer.from(JSON.stringify(publicBundle));
}
private deserializePrivateKey(privateKey: Buffer): any {
return JSON.parse(privateKey.toString());
}
private deserializePublicKey(publicKey: Buffer): any {
return JSON.parse(publicKey.toString());
}
}
// Usage example
export async function demonstrateQuantumSafeSignatures() {
const config: QuantumSafeConfig = {
classicalAlgorithm: 'RSA',
postQuantumAlgorithm: 'Dilithium',
keySize: 3072,
securityLevel: 256,
hybridMode: true
};
const signatureSystem = new QuantumSafeSignatureSystem(config);
// Generate key pair
const keyPair = await signatureSystem.generateKeyPair();
console.log(`Generated quantum-safe key pair: ${keyPair.keyId}`);
// Sign message
const message = Buffer.from('Hello, quantum-safe world!');
const signature = await signatureSystem.sign(message, keyPair.privateKey);
console.log('Message signed with quantum-safe algorithm');
// Verify signature
const isValid = await signatureSystem.verify(message, signature, keyPair.publicKey);
console.log(`Signature verification: ${isValid ? 'VALID' : 'INVALID'}`);
return { keyPair, signature, isValid };
}
Real-World Implementations
Google Chrome
Experimental post-quantum key exchange using Kyber in TLS connections.
- • Hybrid X25519-Kyber768 key agreement
- • 10% performance overhead on handshakes
- • Backward compatibility with classical TLS
- • Real-world testing with 1% of connections
IBM Quantum Network
Enterprise quantum-safe cryptography roadmap and implementation.
- • CRYSTALS-Dilithium for digital signatures
- • 5-year migration timeline for customers
- • Quantum Cryptography Readiness Assessment
- • 50+ enterprise pilots completed
Microsoft Azure
Cloud-native post-quantum cryptography services and key management.
- • Azure Key Vault post-quantum HSM support
- • Automated key rotation and migration
- • 99.9% availability SLA maintained
- • Enterprise customer preview program
NIST Standards
Federal guidance and standardization for post-quantum cryptography.
- • FIPS 203 (ML-KEM) for key establishment
- • FIPS 204 (ML-DSA) for digital signatures
- • FIPS 205 (SLH-DSA) for stateless signatures
- • Government agency compliance deadline 2030
Best Practices
✅ Do
- ✓Implement hybrid classical-PQ systems during transition
- ✓Use crypto-agility patterns for algorithm upgrades
- ✓Plan for larger key sizes and signature lengths
- ✓Implement side-channel attack protections
- ✓Use NIST-approved post-quantum algorithms
- ✓Conduct regular quantum readiness assessments
❌ Don't
- ✗Rely solely on classical cryptography for new systems
- ✗Ignore performance impact of PQ algorithms
- ✗Use proprietary or unvetted quantum-safe algorithms
- ✗Delay migration planning until quantum computers arrive
- ✗Implement PQ cryptography without proper key management
- ✗Assume current security models apply to PQ algorithms