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Testing the Readiness of the PQC Standards for Practical Deployment

Reference number
Coordinator Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan - KTH Skolan för elektroteknik och datavetenskap, avdelningen för Elektronik och inbyggda system
Funding from Vinnova SEK 1 000 000
Project duration April 2025 - April 2026
Status Ongoing
Venture Regulation and cutting-edge technology
Call Rules and instruments for cutting-edge technology

Purpose and goal

Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) represents a paradigm shift addressing the threat posed by quantum computers to the public-key cryptosystems currently in use. As Sweden prepares to migrate to PQC standards, testing the readiness of PQC algorithms for practical deployment is both important and timely. This project aims to perform an in-depth evaluation of the side-channel and fault attack resistance of implementations of the PQC algorithms ML-KEM and ML-DSA standardized by NIST in August 2024.

Expected effects and result

The project is expected to provide recommendations for strengthening the implementations of NIST’s PQC standards ML-KEM and ML-DSA. Upon completion, a comprehensive report outlining identified vulnerabilities and proposing mitigation strategies will be produced. These results will support PQC adoption and may shape stricter implementation guidelines for PQC algorithms, ultimately improving the security of any digital system that will be protected by these algorithms in the future.

Planned approach and implementation

The project will be conducted at KTH by the PI and three PhD students. The initial phase will focus on selecting representative implementations of ML-KEM and ML-DSA, followed by the setup of a test environment. Subsequent stages will involve comprehensive side-channel and fault injection analyses to identify vulnerabilities in the implementations. The final phase will focus on designing countermeasures. The work will combine empirical analysis with prototyping on real-world target platforms.

The project description has been provided by the project members themselves and the text has not been looked at by our editors.

Last updated 24 April 2025

Reference number 2025-00475