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Publication
A Practical Performance Benchmark of Post-Quantum Cryptography Across Heterogeneous Computing Environments
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The emergence of large-scale quantum computing presents an imminent threat to
contemporary public-key cryptosystems, with quantum algorithms such as Shor’s algorithm capable of efficiently breaking RSA and elliptic curve cryptography (ECC). This vulnerability has catalyzed accelerated standardization efforts for post-quantum cryptography
(PQC) by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and global security stakeholders. While theoretical security analysis of these quantum-resistant algorithms
has advanced considerably, comprehensive real-world performance benchmarks spanning
diverse computing environments—from high-performance cloud infrastructure to severely
resource-constrained IoT devices—remain insufficient for informed deployment planning.
This paper presents the most extensive cross-platform empirical evaluation to date of NIST selected PQC algorithms, including CRYSTALS-Kyber and NTRU for key encapsulation
mechanisms (KEMs), alongside BIKE as a code-based alternative, and CRYSTALS-Di lithium
and Falcon for digital signatures. Our systematic benchmarking framework measures computational latency, memory utilization, key sizes, and protocol overhead across multiple
security levels (NIST Levels 1, 3, and 5) in three distinct hardware environments and various network conditions. Results demonstrate that contemporary server architectures can
implement these algorithms with negligible performance impact (<5% additional latency),
making immediate adoption feasible for cloud services. In contrast, resource-constrained
devices experience more significant overhead, with computational demands varying by
up to 12× between algorithms at equivalent security levels, highlighting the importance
of algorithm selection for edge deployments. Beyond standalone algorithm performance,
we analyze integration challenges within existing security protocols, revealing that naive
implementation of PQC in TLS 1.3 can increase handshake size by up to 7× compared
to classical approaches. To address this, we propose and evaluate three optimization
strategies that reduce bandwidth requirements by 40–60% without compromising security
guarantees. Our investigation further encompasses memory-constrained implementation
techniques, side-channel resistance measures, and hybrid classical-quantum approaches
for transitional deployments. Based on these comprehensive findings, we present a risk based migration framework and algorithm selection guidelines tailored to specific use
cases, including financial transactions, secure firmware updates, vehicle-to-infrastructure
communications, and IoT fleet management. This practical roadmap enables organizations
to strategically prioritize systems for quantum-resistant upgrades based on data sensitivity, resource constraints, and technical feasibility. Our results conclusively demonstrate
that PQC is deployment-ready for most applications, provided that implementations are
carefully optimized for the specific performance characteristics and security requirements
of target environments. We also identify several remaining research challenges for the community, including further optimization for ultra-constrained devices, standardization
of hybrid schemes, and hardware acceleration opportunities.
Description
Keywords
post-quantum cryptography quantum-resistant algorithms lattice-based cryptography PQC performance benchmarks CRYSTALS-Kyber NTRU BIKE resourceconstrained computing heterogeneous computing environments TLS protocol integration energy-efficient cryptography NIST standardization
Citation
Abbasi, M., Cardoso, F., Váz, P., Silva, J., & Martins, P. (2025). A Practical Performance Benchmark of Post-Quantum Cryptography Across Heterogeneous Computing Environments. Cryptography, 9(2), 32. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryptography9020032
Publisher
MDPI