Symmetric-key cryptanalysis by quantum computers

• Main Author: Hsu, Gabriel Kai Nan
• Other Authors: Guo Jian
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2022
• Subjects: Science::Physics::Atomic physics::Quantum theory; Science::Mathematics::Discrete mathematics::Cryptography
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/156948
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Cryptography is widely used and implemented, particularly in a modern-day setting. Of note to the field of cryptography is the advent of quantum computing in speeding up computations. Particularly, existing asymmetric-key cryptographic schemes have already been found to be broken in a post-quantum setting, through the ability of quantum algorithms in solving difficult mathematical problems such as integer factorisation and discrete logarithms. In contrast, current symmetric-key cryptographic schemes are touted as quantum resistant, and it is often assumed that merely an increase of key length is needed to update current schemes in a post-quantum setting. Hence this project analyses the security of symmetric-key cryptography schemes against quantum computers, particularly compared against recent developments in classical cryptanalysis.