A Post-Quantum Sensor-to-Blockchain Transaction Framework with CRQC-Aware Exposure Minimization for Next-Generation...

Area of Science:

• Cryptography and Blockchain Technology
• Quantum Computing Security
• Internet of Things (IoT)

Background:

• Blockchain sensor networks utilize public-key cryptography for data integrity and verification.
• Current cryptographic methods are vulnerable to Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computers (CRQCs).
• Securing sensor-to-blockchain transactions against quantum threats is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a post-quantum transaction framework for blockchain sensor networks.
• To minimize quantum-vulnerable exposure while maintaining low-cost auditability.
• To introduce a metric for quantifying quantum exposure in transactions.

Main Methods:

• A transaction workflow using hash-based commitments for sensor data.
• Integration of Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm (ML-DSA) and Module-Lattice-Based Key Encapsulation Mechanism (ML-KEM).
• Implementation of threshold-based authorization and an event-based smart contract (EBSC).
• Development of a Quantum Exposure Score (QES) for metric evaluation.

Main Results:

• The EBSC approach reduced gas consumption by approximately 80% compared to full on-chain storage.
• The Quantum Exposure Score (QES) decreased from 100 (classical open) to 4 with the full framework.
• The framework was validated using electrochemical sensor data and CoAP communication.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework offers a practical solution for post-quantum secure sensor-to-blockchain transactions.
• The design effectively balances enhanced security with efficient auditability.
• This work addresses critical security challenges in the evolving landscape of IoT and blockchain.