Towards Deployment-Ready Post-Quantum Cryptography Enabled Vehicle-to-Everything Communication

Today’s vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication relies on the IEEE 1609.2 standard, which defines secure message formats and processing for V2X communications in intelligent transportation systems. V2X communication relies heavily on cryptographic security to protect and safeguard sensitive information transmitted between vehicles, transportation infrastructure, and other entities. However, the rise of quantum computers poses significant cyber threats because they can break the security provided by current cryptographic algorithms, such as Rivest–Shamir–Adleman (RSA) and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC). In addition, directly integrating the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-approved Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) schemes presents challenges due to larger key sizes, higher computational demands, and stringent latency requirements. These limitations result in increased transmission delays, channel congestion, and the risk of packet loss, jeopardizing real-time communication and system efficiency. While hybrid PQC solutions have been explored, they primarily focus on outdated Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) frameworks and create gaps in adapting these solutions for Cellular V2X (C-V2X), which is the emerging standard for vehicular communication. Moreover, current PQC schemes require innovative adaptations to fit within the strict packet size constraints imposed by IEEE 1609.2 without compromising system performance. Addressing these challenges, the overarching goal of this project is to enhance the security and quantum resilience of V2X communication systems through three key objectives: (1) develop efficient algorithms for solving the hard problems that form the security foundation of PQC schemes and assess the trade-offs between key sizes and security levels; (2) design and implement a certificate segmentation algorithm for integrating PQC into the IEEE 1609.2 security standard to enable reliable, low-latency, and quantum-resilient C-V2X communication; and (3) evaluate the performance of PQC schemes utilizing federated learning (FL)-based C-V2X applications in connected transportation systems. This project will directly contribute towards a deployment-ready PQC-enabled V2X communication for a secure and reliable connected transportation system.

• Record URL:
  • https://www.clemson.edu/cecas/tracr/research/projects/#towardsdeploymentreadypostquantumcryptographyenabledvehicletoeverythingcommunication

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $498,924.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552344812

  69A3552348317

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

  Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
  P.O. Box 870205
  Tuscaloosa, AL  United States  35487-0205

  Clemson University

  216 Lowry Hall
  Clemson, SC, SC  United States  29634

  Florida International University

  10555 West Flagler Street
  Miami, FL  United States  33174
• Managing Organizations:

  National Center for Transportation Cybersecurity and Resiliency (TraCR)

  Clemson University
  Clemson, SC  United States 

  University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

  Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
  P.O. Box 870205
  Tuscaloosa, AL  United States  35487-0205
• Project Managers:

  Chowdhury, Mashrur

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

  Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
  P.O. Box 870205
  Tuscaloosa, AL  United States  35487-0205

  Clemson University

  216 Lowry Hall
  Clemson, SC, SC  United States  29634

  Florida International University

  10555 West Flagler Street
  Miami, FL  United States  33174
• Principal Investigators:

  Rahman, Mizanur

  Alsharif, Ahmad

  Dasgupta, Sagar

  Gao, Shuhong

  Chowdhury, Mashrur "Ronnie"

  Salek, Sabbir

  Cartor, Ryann

  Amini , Mohammadhadi

  Akkaya, Kemal

• Start Date: 20250101
• Expected Completion Date: 20251231
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Algorithms; Blockchains; Computer security; Connected vehicles; Vehicle to everything communications; Vehicular ad hoc networks
• Identifier Terms: IEEE 1609.2
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Security and Emergencies; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01950445
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Center for Transportation Cybersecurity and Resiliency (TraCR)
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552344812, 69A3552348317
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Mar 31 2025 5:03PM