Lightweight Post-Quantum Key Exchange Protocol for Ip Data Transfers over Satellite... Tender

Procurement Summary

Country : Netherlands

Summary : Lightweight Post-Quantum Key Exchange Protocol for Ip Data Transfers over Satellite (Artes 4.0 4s Spl 3d.017)

Deadline : 06 Mar 2024

Other Information

Notice Type : Tender

TOT Ref.No.: 95032843

Document Ref. No. : 1-11711

Competition : ICB

Financier : Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER)

Purchaser Ownership : Public

Tender Value : Refer Document

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Tender Details

Tenders are invited for Lightweight Post-Quantum Key Exchange Protocol for Ip Data Transfers over Satellite (Artes 4.0 4s Spl 3d.017)

Objective: The objective of the activity is to implement and test a lightweight version of the Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) key exchange mechanism that includes post-quantum cryptographic key exchanges. The activity will implement an open-sourced reference implementation of the protocol and perform assessment in a satcom simulator of the protocol on realistic use cases (processing power, data being transferred, latency, available bandwidth, etc.). Targeted Improvements: Improved security with an actual protocol implementation of the newly standardised Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) primitives. 50% reduction in the overhead of data transmission thanks to the use of direct IPSec tunnels (that use IKEv2 as their key exchange) instead of encapsulation of packets over satellite links. Description: IKEv2 (Internet Key Exchange v2), used for the IP Security (IPSec) protocol, is one of the pillars of secure Internet. There is currently an effort from the ground telecommunication standardisation body IETF to integrate Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) capabilities into new versions of the IKEv2 key exchange protocol. To allow for the use of IPSec tunnels over satellite links, but without the overhead of operating them within conventional satellite data link layers, satellites need to be able to negotiate keys in the IPSec protocol. Nevertheless, some trade-offs are unique to usage in the satellite telecommunication world. To ensure widespread adoption in the satellite telecommunication community, and that adaptations to the key exchange protocol necessary for usage in satellite links could be back-ported into the terrestrial protocol, the space industry needs to release a Request For Comments (RFC) document that will formalise the proposed protocol. This activity will identify the key factors that make a post-quantum IP communications over satellite "efficient" (for example reduced overhead, size, latency etc.), and adapt the state of play in PQC for ground telecommunications in order to release an RFC-like document specifying a space-specific PQC-ready IKEv2 key exchange protocol. Then a reference implementation of this proposed standard will be specified, implemented and tested in a suitable satcom simulator. To encourage fast and widespread adoption of this technology among commercial satellite operators (to allow them to be ready for the mass adoption of PQC in the ground telecommunication world) and allow for the collective maintenance and security patching of a sensitive key exchange protocol, it is proposed to release the software developed in this activity under the ESA community WeakCopyleft (type 2) licence.Read more

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