Late Binding ROM: Flexible, In-Field Updateable Post Quantum Cryptography in Hardware

The threat which quantum computers pose to the security of the asymmetric cryptographic algorithms underpinning digital infrastructure has been widely recognized and is actively being mitigated across the industry. Post quantum cryptographic algorithms have been developed and standardized which are resistant to attacks using quantum computing techniques. However, new algorithms are under development and the implementations of the new standards are, relative to established algorithms such as RSA or ECDSA, immature and untested in the field. For this reason, hardware manufacturers must be prepared for the fact that the definition of these algorithms may change in the near future. This paper proposes a field-upgradeable mechanism which enables post quantum algorithm implementations within a hardware Root of Trust for Detection. The proposed mechanism ensures a secure boot flow while allowing for new algorithms to be deployed or vulnerabilities which emerge in existing algorithms or their implementations to be rectified in the field.