Keysight Enables PQShield’s Industry-Readiness for Post-Quantum Cryptography 

As post-quantum cryptography (PQC) transitions from research to deployment, technology providers must demonstrate that their implementations are secure, trustworthy, and interoperable. Unlike classical cryptography, PQC introduces new algorithmic structures that demand updated assurance methods and compliance pathways. Evaluating PQC implementations against side-channel analysis (SCA) is a critical step toward achieving these goals, as it verifies resistance against real-world hardware attacks. Such evaluations not only strengthen the overall security posture but also align with the objectives of high-assurance certification frameworks such as Common Criteria and PSA Certified™, helping organizations prepare their products for compliance.

Validating Trust in Post-Quantum Encryption

Keysight has recently collaborated with PQShield on the security evaluation of its implementation of Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm (ML-DSA), a post-quantum digital signature algorithm designed to protect data against both classical and quantum computer attacks. Conducted by the Keysight Device Security Lab in Delft, The Netherlands, and a Keysight facility in San Francisco, the project focused on validating the implementation’s resilience against side-channel attacks.

Keysight delivered a detailed and actionable assessment, leveraging its global expertise and advanced testing infrastructure. Using SCA methodologies and precision measurement tooling, the team ensured the accuracy and depth of the results. The assessment, representing hundreds of hours of meticulous work conducted by Keysight evaluators and over two million traces, enabled PQShield to objectively assess the security of its solution. The findings confirmed no evidence of first-order power side-channel leakage in the ML-DSA implementation, demonstrating strong resistance against advanced attack techniques.

“Keysight’s independent validation continues to support us in refining our designs and ensuring that our quantum-safe solutions adhere to the most stringent security standards,” said Axel Poschmann, VP of Product at PQShield. “In our ML-DSA implementation, the core polynomial multiplication operation is protected by a two-share masking scheme to defend against side-channel threats. Keysight’s thorough testing and collaborative approach helped confirm the effectiveness of this countermeasure.”

Reflecting on the collaboration, Durga Lakshmi Ramachandran, PQC Solution Lead at Keysight, noted, "Advancing security testing methodologies to address emerging cryptographic challenges is central to our mission. This project highlights our role in assisting industry leaders in validating and strengthening their solutions against side-channel threats."

Advancing PQC Testing with Inspector’s Crypto 3

Keysight remains committed to advancing post-quantum cryptography through continuous innovation and industry collaboration. Keysight’s Inspector Software suite continues to serve as a complete solution for embedded security validation across various industries. Crypto 3, the latest addition to the Inspector platform, enhances security testing by enabling faster prototyping and analysis of new ciphers and attack strategies. It breaks down cryptographic operations into independent blocks, enabling engineers to test only the components needed for a specific use case, simplifying exploration and iteration. 

To learn more about Keysight’s PQC evaluation capabilities and the Inspector platform, visit Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Security or reach out to riscuresolutions@keysight.com.