Lightweight and Efficient Post Quantum Key Encapsulation Mechanism Based on Q-Problem

The Q-problem is a new lightweight and hard mathematical problem that resists quantum attacks. It depends on putting one known value and two unknown values per equation; whatever the operator, the Q-problem defines certain conditions between equations. This paper presents a new key exchange protocol based on the Q-problem. To protect secure end-to-end communication over a public transmission channel, the proposed mechanism consists of two rounds of exchanging totally random numbers, which ensure a shared secret key between two parties at the end. Security analysis proves the robustness of the proposal and experiments prove its lightness during implementation, making it a promising protocol of hybrid solutions and an assistive technique for the transition to the quantum era.