With the development of quantum computers that have the computing power to break current cryptographic methods, there is a threat to cryptography. To demonstrate security solutions for the quantum future, my lab is implementing energy-efficient hardware that supports lattice-based cryptography, which is considered impenetrable to quantum computers and a prime candidate for standardization by NIST. This is particularly important for Internet of Things (IoT) devices that need to do encryption and authentication but are extremely resource- constrained in terms of computation. I will be working on implementing different variations of lattice-based cryptographic protocols in software and using the specialized hardware so that we can benchmark the efficiency of the hardware.

I was drawn to this SuperUROP project because I had heard that quantum computers make the current cryptographic standards obsolete. I was surprised to hear that algorithms exist to compensate for that, so I will enjoy learning how the different lattice-based algorithms work as I implement them for the chip.