THE QUANTUM INTELLIGENCER

Post-Quantum Cryptography in Practice: Performance and Deployment of Kyber and Dilithium in Telecommunications In Plain English: Quantum computers could one day break the encryption that protects our online communications, so experts are switching to new, more secure systems. This study looks at two new security tools—Kyber and Dilithium—that are designed to resist quantum attacks. It finds they work faster and more efficiently than older methods while being strong enough to protect sensitive data. The research also explores how phone and internet companies are starting to use these tools in 5G networks to keep user identities and messages safe. However, making this switch across entire networks is complex and requires major upgrades, careful planning, and coordination across industries. Summary: As quantum computing advances, current cryptographic standards such as RSA and ECDSA are at risk of being rendered obsolete, prompting a global shift toward post-quantum cryptography (PQC). In response, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has standardized CRYSTALS-Kyber for key encapsulation and CRYSTALS-Dilithium for digital signatures as part of its PQC project. This study evaluates the performance of these algorithms by measuring execution times for core operations including key generation, encapsulation, decapsulation, signing, and verification. Results indicate that both Kyber and Dilithium outperform classical cryptographic schemes in terms of speed and efficiency at comparable security levels. The integration of AVX2 instruction set optimizations further enhances performance, demonstrating the value of hardware acceleration in PQC implementations. Beyond performance, the paper investigates the practical deployment of PQC in telecommunications, identifying significant challenges such as large-scale infrastructure modernization, compatibility with existing systems, and regulatory alignment. Case studies illustrate how telecom operators are beginning to adopt PQC in 5G authentication protocols, secure subscriber identity management, and end-to-end encrypted communications. The analysis underscores the importance of coordinated standardization, incremental rollout strategies, and ongoing evaluation of computational trade-offs in building quantum-safe networks. Key Points: - CRYSTALS-Kyber and CRYSTALS-Dilithium are the NIST-standardized post-quantum algorithms for key exchange and digital signatures, respectively. - These PQC algorithms demonstrate superior execution speed and efficiency compared to RSA and ECDSA at equivalent security levels. - AVX2 optimizations significantly improve the performance of Kyber and Dilithium, highlighting the role of hardware acceleration in PQC deployment. - Real-world implementation in telecom networks faces challenges including infrastructure upgrades, interoperability with legacy systems, and regulatory constraints. - Telecom operators are beginning to integrate PQC into 5G security features such as authentication and subscriber identity protection. - Industry case studies show that successful PQC adoption requires strategic planning, standardization, and phased migration approaches. - Long-term cryptographic security depends on proactive transition strategies before quantum computers become capable of breaking current encryption. Notable Quotes: - "Our findings demonstrate that Kyber and Dilithium achieve efficient execution times, outperforming classical cryptographic schemes such as RSA and ECDSA at equivalent security levels." - "The real-world deployment of PQC introduces challenges in telecommunications networks, where large-scale infrastructure upgrades, interoperability with legacy systems, and regulatory constraints must be addressed." - "Through industry case studies, we illustrate how telecom operators are integrating PQC into 5G authentication, subscriber identity protection, and secure communications." Data Points: - NIST has selected CRYSTALS-Kyber and CRYSTALS-Dilithium as standardized post-quantum cryptography algorithms. - Performance benchmarks cover key generation, encapsulation, decapsulation, signing, and verification operations. - AVX2 instruction set extensions are used to accelerate cryptographic computations. - RSA and ECDSA are used as baseline comparisons for performance evaluation. - Deployment case studies involve 5G networks, subscriber identity protection, and secure communications in telecom settings. - Security level equivalency is assumed between PQC and classical schemes in performance comparisons. Controversial Claims: - The assertion that Kyber and Dilithium "outperform" classical schemes like RSA and ECDSA may depend heavily on implementation context, hardware environment, and security parameter choices—performance advantages may not hold universally across all platforms or use cases. - Claims about the feasibility of PQC deployment in telecom environments imply readiness for large-scale adoption, which may be premature given ongoing standardization processes, limited field testing, and unresolved supply chain and backward compatibility issues. - The paper suggests that AVX2 optimizations provide clear benefits, but this assumes widespread availability of compatible processors, potentially excluding resource-constrained or older network equipment commonly found in legacy telecom infrastructure. Technical Terms: - Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) - CRYSTALS-Kyber - CRYSTALS-Dilithium - Key Encapsulation Mechanism (KEM) - Digital Signatures - NIST Standardization - AVX2 Optimization - Quantum Computing Threat - Execution Time Benchmarking - Legacy System Interoperability - 5G Authentication - Secure Communications - Cryptographic Infrastructure - Regulatory Compliance - Hardware Acceleration —Ada H. Pemberley Dispatch from The Prepared E0