Design and Implementation of a Hash-based Post-Quantum Digital Signature Scheme for Lightweight Applications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21928/uhdjst.v10n1y2026.pp32-44Keywords:
Post-Quantum Cryptography, Hash-based Signature, Winternitz One-Time Signature, Merkle Tree Authentication, Lightweight CryptographyAbstract
The rapid advancement of quantum computing poses a serious threat to classical digital signature algorithms such as RSA and ECDSA, which rely on mathematical problems vulnerable to quantum attacks. Hash-based digital signatures offer a strong post-quantum alternative due to their reliance on cryptographic hash functions and their resistance to both classical and quantum adversaries. This study evaluates the feasibility of hash-based signatures in lightweight and resource-constrained environments by implementing three representative schemes: Lamport One-Time Signatures (OTS), Winternitz One-Time Signatures (WOTS), and Merkle-WOTS. The analysis focuses on key performance factors relevant to constrained devices, including key size, signature size, signing time, and verification speed. Experimental results show that while Lamport OTS provides conceptual simplicity and WOTS offers improved efficiency, the Merkle-WOTS scheme delivers the most practical balance. It supports multiple signatures under a compact public key while maintaining moderate signature sizes and competitive performance. These findings indicate that Merkle-WOTS is a strong candidate for post-quantum authentication in IoT and other lightweight embedded systems.
References
C. K. Gitonga. “The impact of quantum computing on cryptographic systems: Urgency of quantum-resistant algorithms and practical applications in cryptography”. European Journal of Information Technologies and Computer Science, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 1-10, 2025.
G. Nkulenu. “Quantum computing: The impending revolution in cryptographic security”. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Growth Evaluation, vol. 5, pp. 1137-1149, 2024.
S. Suhail, R. Hussain, A. Khan and C. S. Hong. “On the role of hash-based signatures in quantum-safe internet of things: Current solutions and future directions”. IEEE Internet of Things Journal, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 1-17, 2020.
P. Kampanakis and S. Fluhrer, "LMS vs XMSS: Comparion of two hash-based signature standards," Cryptology ePrint Archive, vol. Paper 2017/349, 2017. Available from: https://eprint.iacr. org/2017/3490
T. N. A. Al Attar, M. A. Mohammed and R. N. Mohammed. “Exploring post-quantum cryptography: Evaluating algorithm resilience against global quantum threats”. UHD Journal of Science and Technology, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 18-28, 2025.
T. N. A. Al Attar and R. N. Mohammed. “Optimization of lattice-based cryptographic key generation using genetic algorithms for post-quantum security”. UHD Journal of Science and Technology, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 93-105, 2025.
L. Li, X. Lu and K. Wang. “Hash-based signature revisited”. Cybersecurity, vol. 5, no. 1, p. 13, 2022.
E. Fathalla and M. Azab. “Beyond classical cryptography: A systematic review of post-quantum hash-based signature schemes, security, and optimizations”. IEEE Access, vol. 12, pp. 175969-175987, 2024.
H. I. Kaplan, "General Review of Hash-Based Signatures," Cryptology ePrint Archive, vol. 2025/1398, 2025. Available from: https://ia.cr/2025/1398
V. Srivastava, A. Baksi and S. K. Debnath, "An overview of hash based signatures," Cryptology ePrint Archive, vol. 2023/411, no. 2023, 2023. Available from: https://ia.cr/2023/411
P. Mazza. “Temporal Resource Comparison between Classical Asymmetric Cryptosystems and Post-Quantum Alternatives”. Politecnico di Torino, Italy, 2025.
K. Zhang, H. Cui and Y. Yu. “Revisiting the Constant-Sum Winternitz One-Time Signature with Applications to and XMSS”. In: Annual International Cryptology Conference, Springer, pp. 455- 483, 2023.
T. G. Tan, P. Szalachowski and J. Zhou. “Challenges of post-quantum digital signing in real-world applications: A survey”. International Journal of Information Security, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 937-952, 2022.
P. A. Mohan. “Hash-based Digital Signatures-A Tutorial Review”. In: 2023 IEEE International Conference on Public Key Infrastructure and its Applications (PKIA), IEEE, pp. 1-8, 2023.
P. Tandel and J. Nasriwala. “Secure authentication framework for IoT applications using a hash-based post-quantum signature scheme”. Service Oriented Computing and Applications, pp. 1-12, 2024, 2024.
A. Joshi, P. Bhalgat, P. Chavan, T. Chaudhari and S. Patil. “Guarding Against Quantum Threats: A Survey of Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization, Techniques, and Current Implementations”. In: International Conference on Applications and Techniques in Information Security, Springer, pp. 33-46, 2024.
C. Majenz, C. M. Manfouo and M. Ozols. “Quantum-Access Security of the Winternitz One-Time Signature Scheme”. [arXiv Preprint]; 2021.
C. M. Pacurar, R. Bocu and M. Iavich. “An analysis of existing hash-based post-quantum signature schemes”. Symmetry, vol. 17, no. 6, p. 919, 2025.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Tara Nawzad Ahmad Al Attar, Mohammed Anwar Mohammed, Rebaz Nawzad Mohammed
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
