Synopsys Agile PQC Public Key Accelerators

Quantum computing is expected to solve some of the most complex problems in minutes versus the potentially thousands of years that classical computers and supercomputers would require. Because they will rapidly break current ECC and RSA cryptography, placing sensitive data and systems at risk, it's important to implement post-quantum cryptography in today's SoC designs. With several NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards finalized, and more standards in the works, migration planning is underway across industries, and designers must build quantum resilience into today's systems rather than treating it as a future upgrade. The risk of "harvest now, decrypt later" and “trust now, forge later” type of attacks further increases the urgency for deploying quantum-safe security in long-lived systems.

Synopsys Agile PQC Public Key Accelerators (PKAs) are crypto-agile hardware IP solutions that accelerate the computationally intensive operations required for asymmetric cryptography while simplifying migration from classical cryptography to quantum-safe algorithms. Combining dedicated hardware acceleration with embedded firmware flexibility, Agile PQC PKAs deliver high performance, low power, and long-term adaptability as standards and security requirements evolve.

Designed for quantum-safe, hybrid, and legacy deployments, Synopsys Agile PQC PKAs support the latest NIST-standardized PQC algorithms as well as traditional ECC and RSA cryptography to simplify migration and interoperability:

• ML-KEM (FIPS 203), formerly CRYSTALS-Kyber, for quantum-resistant key establishment and encryption.
• ML-DSA (FIPS 204), formerly CRYSTALS-Dilithium, for quantum-resistant digital signatures.
• SLH-DSA (FIPS 205), formerly SPHINCS+, for stateless hash-based digital signatures.
• XMSS and LMS (NIST SP 800-208) for stateful hash-based digital signatures and secure firmware authentication.

A unique hybrid HW/FW architecture accelerates the core cryptographic primitives in dedicated hardware while implementing higher-level algorithms in firmware. This approach delivers optimal performance and power efficiency while allowing deployed systems to adapt to standards evolution through firmware updates.

Synopsys Agile PQC PKAs include NIST CAVP-validated implementations and help designers prepare for migration to the NSA Commercial National Security Algorithm (CNSA) Suite 2.0, supporting quantum-resistant key establishment, digital signatures, secure boot, and software and firmware integrity protection.

Synopsys Agile PQC PKAs are highly configurable and scalable, enabling designers to optimize performance, power, area, and latency for applications ranging from high-performance computing and physical AI to automotive, industrial, aerospace and defense, networking, and consumer devices.

Optional countermeasures against differential power analysis (DPA), timing analysis (TA), and fault injection attacks help strengthen resistance to physical attacks in security-critical applications.

An Automotive Agile PQC PKA variant is also available, compliant to ASIL B / ISO 26262 functional safety and ISO/SAE 21434 cybersecurity requirements.