Stateful Hash-Based Signature (SHBS) Benchmark Data for XMSS and LMS

TL;DR

This paper provides benchmark data for XMSS and LMS hash-based signature schemes to assist system designers in understanding their parameter trade-offs for quantum-resistant digital signatures.

Contribution

It offers comprehensive benchmark data for XMSS and LMS, aiding in selecting optimal parameters for long-term, quantum-resistant digital signature implementations.

Findings

Benchmark data for signature size and validation effort

Comparison of parameter impacts on security and performance

Guidance for system designers on configuration choices

Abstract

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has recommended the use of stateful hash-based digital signatures for long-term applications that may require protection from future threats that use quantum computers. XMSS and LMS, the two approved algorithms, have multiple parameter options that impact digital signature size, public key size, the number of signatures that can be produced over the life of a keypair, and the computational effort to validate signatures. This collection of benchmark data is intended to support system designers in understanding the differences among the configuration options.