Master Thesis:
Strengthening the quantum security of block ciphers
It is common knowledge that symmetric-key cryptographic schemes such as block ciphers are not particularly threatened by quantum computing: the attack speedup offered by Grover’s algorithm seems to imply that we should simply use larger key sizes. However, when considering the possibility of quantum superposition attacks and quantum access to the block cipher oracle or encryption device, related key attacks and other attacks leveraging superposition queries become immediately more dangerous.
This mission will start with a review of the state of the art regarding the quantum security of block ciphers and their modes of operation, and will continue with the design of a general way to patch existing block ciphers (e.g. with a new mode of operation) that would reduce the efficiency of quantum superposition attacks.
Key Skills
- Familiarity with basic linear algebra, quantum information theory, bra-ket notation, LaTeX (no other coding skills required).
- Understanding of cryptographic concepts and the impacts of quantum computing on cryptography.
- Interest in doing research in cryptography and quantum computing.
- Ability to think out of the box and to tackle challenges.
- Solid academic and linguistic (English) skills.
Contact Information
Tommaso Gagliardoni: tommaso.gagliardoni@kudelskisecurity.com
Website: www.kudelskisecurity.com