Performance and Storage Analysis of CRYSTALS Kyber as a Post Quantum Replacement for RSA and ECC

TL;DR

This paper evaluates CRYSTALS-Kyber's performance and storage efficiency as a quantum-resistant cryptographic alternative to RSA and ECC, demonstrating its practical viability on standard hardware.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive performance analysis of Kyber on commodity hardware, highlighting its suitability for real-world deployment as a post-quantum cryptographic solution.

Findings

Kyber offers strong security against quantum attacks.

Performance remains acceptable on standard hardware.

No specialized hardware is required for effective implementation.

Abstract

The steady advancement in quantum computer error correction technology has pushed the current record to 48 stable logical qubits, bringing us closer to machines capable of running Shor's algorithm at scales that threaten RSA and ECC cryptography. While the timeline for developing such quantum computers remains uncertain, the cryptographic community must prepare for the transition to quantum-resistant algorithms. CRYSTALS-Kyber, standardized by NIST in 2022, represents a leading post-quantum cryptographic solution, but widespread adoption faces significant challenges. If this migration follows patterns similar to the SHA-1 to SHA-2 transition, organizations may experience prolonged periods of vulnerability, with substantial security and economic consequences. This study evaluates Kyber's practical viability through performance testing across various implementation schemes, utilizing only standard built-in processor acceleration features, some of which include AES-NI and ASIMD, without any specialized hardware additions. Our findings demonstrate that Kyber provides robust security guarantees against quantum attacks while maintaining acceptable performance profiles for most contemporary applications, utilizing only commodity hardware with manufacturer-provided acceleration capabilities.