Hardware/Software Co-Design and FPGA Prototyping of NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Algorithms

This project explores how post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms can be efficiently implemented on hardware platforms to prepare for future quantum-safe security needs. As new NIST-standardized PQC algorithms replace older encryption methods that are vulnerable to quantum attacks, designers face challenges due to higher computation and memory demands. The project will study a representative PQC algorithm and build an FPGA prototype that combines software and hardware acceleration for its most performance-critical components. By comparing software-only implementations with hardware designs created using both high-level synthesis and traditional hardware design methods, the project will identify practical trade-offs in speed, resource usage, and design effort. Participating institutions benefit from reusable FPGA prototypes, clear experimental data, and concrete design guidance that can support future research, education, and real-world deployment of quantum-resistant security in embedded and edge computing systems.

Faculty Supervisor:

Felipe Gohring de Magalhaes

Student:

Partner:

Institut-Mines-Télécom Atlantique

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Cyber Security; Quantum Science

University:

Polytechnique Montréal

Program: