Post-Quantum Digital Signature Algorithms on IoT: Evaluating Performance on LoRa ESP32 Microcontroller

Mads Villum Nielsen, Magnus Raagaard Kjeldsen, Togu Turnip, Birger Andersen

2025

Abstract

As quantum computing continues to develop, traditional cryptographic schemes face increasing threats from quantum attacks, driving the need for post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms. This study evaluates the feasibility of PQC algorithms with higher NIST security level parameters on a resource-constrained IoT device, the LoRa ESP32 microcontroller. We benchmarked the performance of CRYSTALS-Dilithium, Falcon, SPHINCS+ across multiple NIST levels, measuring latency, memory usage and discussing parameter sizes. Additionally, we examined the communication overhead introduced by transmitting the larger-than-usual digital signatures over a wireless network. Our findings reveal significant performance disparities between the tested algorithms, with Dilithium demonstrating the fastest execution and Falcon balancing speed and memory efficiency – even at higher NIST security levels. In contrast, SPHINCS+ proved impractically slow for IoT applications. This research investigates practical considerations and challenges of deploying PQC digital signature algorithms on IoT devices.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Nielsen M., Kjeldsen M., Turnip T. and Andersen B. (2025). Post-Quantum Digital Signature Algorithms on IoT: Evaluating Performance on LoRa ESP32 Microcontroller. In Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Security and Cryptography - Volume 1: SECRYPT; ISBN 978-989-758-760-3, SciTePress, pages 592-600. DOI: 10.5220/0013508400003979

in Bibtex Style

@conference{secrypt25,
author={Mads Nielsen and Magnus Kjeldsen and Togu Turnip and Birger Andersen},
title={Post-Quantum Digital Signature Algorithms on IoT: Evaluating Performance on LoRa ESP32 Microcontroller},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Security and Cryptography - Volume 1: SECRYPT},
year={2025},
pages={592-600},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0013508400003979},
isbn={978-989-758-760-3},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Security and Cryptography - Volume 1: SECRYPT
TI - Post-Quantum Digital Signature Algorithms on IoT: Evaluating Performance on LoRa ESP32 Microcontroller
SN - 978-989-758-760-3
AU - Nielsen M.
AU - Kjeldsen M.
AU - Turnip T.
AU - Andersen B.
PY - 2025
SP - 592
EP - 600
DO - 10.5220/0013508400003979
PB - SciTePress