Security evaluations of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) primitives

The intrinsic security of PQC algorithms is based on mathematical problems that are believed to be intractable for both classical and quantum computers. To assess the quantum security of post-quantum primitives is fundamental in order to boost our confidence on post-quantum cryptosystems. The development of quantum algorithms demonstrating a significant quantum speed-up would represent a major breakthrough, necessitating a reassessment of the security of cryptosystems (lattice-based, code-based, and others). Conversely, if no significant quantum speed-up is discovered, it would bolster our confidence in the security of these post-quantum cryptosystems, though some parameters may still require fine-tuning. Moreover, up to now existing quantum attackers have been analyzed mostly in a theoretical way. However, their application to nowadays cryptosystems fail due to a lack of efficient implementations and hardware. Studies are also needed on AI-based approaches that may be used to attack certain schemes with certain implementation choices, and the discovery of eventual vulnerabilities can help the research community develop more robust post-quantum cryptosystems.

Proposals on the assessment of the security of post-quantum primitives, via studies focused on eventual quantum algorithms with demonstrable speed-up, eventually also in combination with AI, or on solely AI-based approaches, are welcome. The security of lattice and code-based PQC algorithms may be prioritized, but tackling other mathematical problem classes is not excluded. As the unprecedented computational power of quantum computing can greatly enhance AI capabilities, combination of different approaches may also be considered. Consortia with team of applicants with background in post-quantum cryptography and in quantum computing are particularly encouraged. Projects should lead to identification of vulnerabilities of current post-quantum cryptographic building blocks and to practical recommendations for parameters for the design of post-quantum cryptosystems with improved security against quantum attacks and future advances in code-breaking and AI.