REALCRYPT · Real-World Application and Evaluation of Theoretically-Sound Cryptography

Cryptography is the foundation of modern communication: privacy, critical infrastructure, and the digitization of industry, economy, and healthcare depend on it. The transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) introduces both opportunities and challenges. Advancements in the design of post-quantum primitives have been significant, their concrete deployment in protocols remains challenged by real-world implementation constraints, security concerns, and interoperability challenges.This project builds on the ERC-funded REWOCRYPT project, which focused on bridging the gap between theoretical cryptographic security analysis and real-world applications. To extend these findings into practice, this PoC project focuses on protocol-level hybridization, leveraging the Rosenpass protocol as a research platform. Unlike traditional approaches that integrate PQC at the primitive level, protocol-level hybridization may provide post-quantum security without requiring extensive modifications to widely deployed cryptographic systems.The project will develop, analyze, and implement secure cryptographic combiners that allow for the integration of PQ and classical protocols. A key objective is to evaluate whether hybrid security guarantees hold in real-world deployment scenarios and whether protocol combiners provide an effective approach for a smooth post-quantum transition. The research will include a formal security analysis, practical implementation, and testing within the Rosenpass-WireGuard ecosystem. We will assess security properties under both classical and quantum adversarial models, ensuring cryptographic agility to be able to address future algorithmic improvements or attacks.Beyond technical innovation, this PoC aligns with European cybersecurity and digital sovereignty goals. Open-source implementation and collaboration with the non-profit organization Rosenpass e.V. ensure rapid practical impact, while casting a foundation for future research and standardization.