Post-Quantum Cryptography Algorithms Deployed on Resource-Constrained IoT Devices

The increasing power of computers presents a growing danger to the encryption methods that currently secure much of our digital world, especially for the billions of connected devices in the Internet of Things. Jesus Lopez, Viviana Cadena, and Mohammad Saidur Rahman, from the University of Texas at El Paso, and their colleagues, address this challenge by evaluating whether new, quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms can run effectively on devices with limited processing power and energy. Their work demonstrates the practical feasibility of implementing these next-generation algorithms – specifically BIKE, CRYSTALS-Kyber, and HQC – on a standard Raspberry Pi platform. This research is significant because it confirms that it is possible to safeguard future IoT networks against the threat of quantum computers, paving the way for resilient security in the next generation of connected devices.

The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices introduces significant security vulnerabilities, as current cryptographic methods are increasingly threatened by the rapid advancement of quantum computing. A powerful quantum computer could compromise the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted by these devices, particularly as many have limited processing power, memory, and energy. Researchers are therefore focused on post-quantum cryptography (PQC) – developing algorithms resistant to attacks from both classical and quantum computers.

Recent work has systematically evaluated three promising PQC algorithms – BIKE, CRYSTALS-Kyber, and HQC – on Raspberry Pi-based platforms to assess their feasibility for resource-constrained devices. The team measured execution time, power consumption, memory usage, and device temperature to determine performance characteristics. Results indicate that CRYSTALS-Kyber offers the most favorable balance of these metrics, making it a strong candidate for securing future IoT deployments.

While BIKE demonstrated the lowest memory usage, it incurred substantial latency and power costs at higher security levels, and HQC demanded significant memory and generated considerable heat. These findings highlight the trade-offs inherent in different PQC algorithms and provide valuable guidance for developers building quantum-resistant IoT devices. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been actively involved in standardizing these new algorithms, recently releasing its first three finalized post-quantum encryption standards – a crucial step towards securing future communications.

Research has focused on adapting the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol to incorporate post-quantum security, with Kyber emerging as a leading candidate due to its promising performance. Demonstrations of practical implementations confirm that integrating PQC algorithms on constrained hardware is indeed feasible, reinforcing the urgent need for quantum-resilient cryptographic frameworks in next-generation IoT devices. This work contributes to the growing body of knowledge surrounding quantum-secure communication and its application to resource-limited devices, and the implementation is publicly available to facilitate further research and development.

Ultimately, balancing cryptographic strength with system-level constraints is critical when selecting PQC algorithms for future deployments at scale.