An MLWE-Based Cut-and-Choose Oblivious Transfer Protocol

Area of Science:

• Cryptography and Information Security
• Lattice-based Cryptography
• Quantum-Resistant Cryptography

Background:

• Existing lattice-based cut-and-choose oblivious transfer protocols often suffer from inefficiency due to reliance on the learning-with-errors (LWE) problem.
• The development of more efficient and secure cryptographic protocols is crucial for modern data protection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an efficient cut-and-choose oblivious transfer protocol.
• To enhance security and reduce computational and communication complexities in oblivious transfer protocols.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel protocol based on the module-learning-with-errors (MLWE) problem, a more difficult lattice problem.
• Integrated compression and decompression techniques into an LWE-based dual-mode encryption system to create an MLWE-based framework.
• Utilized the fast Fourier transform (FFT) to optimize polynomial modulo multiplication operations.

Main Results:

• The proposed protocol demonstrates enhanced security, reducible to the shortest independent vector problem (SIVP) on lattices, offering resistance to quantum attacks.
• Significant improvements in efficiency were achieved, reducing computational and communication overheads by at least a factor of 'n'.
• The protocol maintains optimal communication rounds even under malicious adversary attacks.

Conclusions:

• The MLWE-based oblivious transfer protocol offers a more efficient and secure alternative to existing LWE-based protocols.
• The use of advanced techniques like MLWE, compression/decompression, and FFT contributes to a robust and performant cryptographic solution.
• This research advances the field of quantum-resistant cryptography, providing practical improvements for secure communication.