Financial Assistance Program for Cryptology Thesis Projects

We are pleased to announce a new program aimed at providing financial assistance (Rs. 100K-200K) to final year undergraduate (BE / BS) and graduate (MS) students in higher education institutions for their final year thesis projects related to cryptology. To apply, visit Crypto Corner at NCCS.pk. (National Center for Cyber Security)

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the program, students must be enrolled in a full-time undergraduate or graduate program in Pakistan.

Project Ideas

Following projects are sought for. The student may finalize the details (deliverables, approach, etc.) with help of academic supervisor or PakCrypt team at NCCS.

Classical Cryptanalysis

  • Study and implementation of linear cryptanalysis (ref: M. Heys, Memorial University of Newfoundland)
  • Study and implementation of differential cryptanalysis (ref: M. Heys)
  • Implementation of differential cryptanalysis on 3-round DES
  • Generation and analysis of S-boxes of different orders in Galois Field
  • Homomorphic encryption: Secure telling and other processes
  • Tamper-proof, secure, and reliable blockchain
  • Construction of Boolean function of degree 10
  • Mathematical structures of S-boxes
  • Diehard cipher testing suite for block ciphers
  • New directions in QKD (algorithmic level)
  • Comparison of NIST finalized post-quantum secure key establishment algorithms
  • Comparison of NIST finalized post-quantum secure digital signature algorithms
  • Implementation of ECC for different applications

Post-Quantum & Embedded Systems

  • Smart card and post-quantum cryptography
  • Implementation of PQC on embedded devices in the IoT
  • Threshold cryptography implementation for software applications

Advanced Cryptanalysis

  • Mathematical cryptanalysis
  • Quantum-enhanced linear/differential cryptanalysis (Cirq, Qiskit, ProjectQ, Google TFQ)
  • Cryptanalysis of lightweight block ciphers using linear/differential techniques
  • Machine learning assisted cryptanalysis (discovery of trails and relations)
  • Cipher attacks with access only through encryption modes
  • Provably secure design strategies for non-SPN ciphers
  • Real-time cryptanalysis tool for detecting linear patterns in encrypted network traffic

Non-linearity in Cipher Design

  • Optimization of S-boxes using machine learning
  • Low-latency masking for S-boxes in lightweight crypto
  • S-box representations and their role in algebraic attacks
  • Design of S-boxes for NxM mappings (N > M, N = M, N < M)
  • Implications of using large S-box sizes (10–32 bits)
  • AI/deep-learning based search for new S-box designs
  • Efficient forward/inverse S-box implementations (CPU/FPGA)
  • Theory and analysis of stateful S-boxes
  • S-box design for tactical radios and lightweight crypto standards

Secure Private Clouds

  • Homomorphic encryption for healthcare data on public clouds
  • Secure multi-party computation (MPC) for machine learning
  • Homomorphic encryption in blockchain platforms (e.g., Hyperledger)
  • Cryptographic private cloud layer for semi-trusted cloud providers
  • Multi-cloud architecture for secure computation using MPC & HE
  • Privacy-preserving analytics using HE in DB systems
  • Secure image/video processing using MPC

Blockchain and HSMs

  • Quantum-resistant blockchain systems
  • Blockchain 4.0: Speed, UX, and usability improvements
  • Hardware security modules (HSMs) for private cloud security
  • Post-quantum cryptography inside HSMs
  • Secure CPU/FPGA execution environments in HSMs
  • HSMs for multi-party computation
  • Secure software updates via HSMs
  • Securing ML models via HSMs
  • HSMs + blockchain for secure key management
  • Framework for Android security using private HSMs

Applied Mathematics for Cryptology

  • Boolean functions of higher degree (>10) and cryptographic relevance
  • Blockchain 4.0: usability and infrastructure implications
  • Use of non-associative algebraic structures in cryptography
  • Algebraic attacks on AES (multivariate equation systems)
  • Abstract crypto algorithms on groups/algebras
  • Randomness test techniques (NIST STS, ML-based distinguishers)
  • Direct PRF constructions vs. traditional block cipher based PRFs
  • Quantitative comparison of Feistel, SPN, Sponge, and LWC constructions
  • Hybrid modes of encryption for radio communications
  • Signature schemes in the random oracle model
  • Boolean functions in self-synchronizing stream ciphers
  • Tools for finding affine-equivalent Boolean functions
  • Shannon entropy-based randomness detection for live streams

Niche Applications

  • Advanced threshold cryptography
  • Zero-knowledge authentication and cross-platform mutual auth
  • Multi-user authenticated encryption with tweakable block ciphers
  • Secure key-sharing for WSNs and large user groups
  • Quantum time/memory/data trade-off attacks
  • Fair multi-secret sharing with asymmetric bivariate polynomials
  • Analog signal encryption using quantum techniques
  • Software scrambling for reverse engineering protection
  • Post-quantum threshold cryptography
  • ZKPs in blockchain systems
  • Tweakable encryption for secure cloud storage
  • Provable scrambling techniques in digital watermarking
  • Steganography and info hiding in digital images
  • Secure blockchain-based voting protocols
  • General-purpose homomorphic encryption libraries for cloud
  • Cost-effective QKD with COTS hardware
  • Biometric cryptosystems for secure auth & keygen
  • Privacy-preserving machine learning frameworks
  • White-box secure hardware implementations of crypto algorithms

Quantum Computing

  • Security evaluation of new QKD protocols
  • Performance analysis of NIST post-quantum key establishment algorithms
  • Security assessment of NIST post-quantum digital signature algorithms
  • PQC integration in smart cards and IoT
  • Hybrid QKD systems (classical + quantum)
  • Embedded system implementations of PQC (ARM, RISC, Zynq)
  • Hardware-based PQC (FPGA / GPU / hybrid)
  • PQC for secure mobile communications
  • PQC for securing cyber-physical systems (CPS)
  • Secure DevSecOps using PQC in software development

Note: In case of any query, please contact Dr. S. Malik after completing the registration.