Network Working Group                                          N. Bindel
Internet-Draft                                                 SandboxAQ
Intended status: Informational                                   B. Hale
Expires: 30 May 2025                           Naval Postgraduate School
                                                             D. Connolly
                                                               SandboxAQ
                                                             F. Driscoll
                                       UK National Cyber Security Centre
                                                        26 November 2024


                       Hybrid signature spectrums
             draft-ietf-pquip-hybrid-signature-spectrums-04

Abstract

   This document describes classification of design goals and security
   considerations for hybrid digital signature schemes, including proof
   composability, non-separability of the component signatures given a
   hybrid signature, backwards/forwards compatibility, hybrid
   generality, and simultaneous verification.

   Discussion of this work is encouraged to happen on the IETF PQUIP
   mailing list pqc@ietf.org or on the GitHub repository which contains
   the draft: https://github.com/dconnolly/draft-ietf-pquip-hybrid-
   signature-spectrums

Discussion Venues

   This note is to be removed before publishing as an RFC.

   Discussion of this document takes place on the Post-Quantum Use In
   Protocols Working Group mailing list (pqc@ietf.org), which is
   archived at https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/browse/pqc/.

   Source for this draft and an issue tracker can be found at
   https://github.com/dconnolly/draft-connolly-pquip-hybrid-signature-
   spectrums.

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
   Task Force (IETF).  Note that other groups may also distribute
   working documents as Internet-Drafts.  The list of current Internet-
   Drafts is at https://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/.



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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     1.1.  Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     1.2.  Motivation for use of hybrid signature schemes  . . . . .   6
       1.2.1.  *Complexity*  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
       1.2.2.  *Time*  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
     1.3.  Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
       1.3.1.  *Hybrid Authentication* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
       1.3.2.  *Proof Composability* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
       1.3.3.  *Weak Non-Separability* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
       1.3.4.  *Strong Non-Separability* . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
       1.3.5.  *Backwards/Forwards Compatibility*  . . . . . . . . .  12
       1.3.6.  *Simultaneous Verification* . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12
       1.3.7.  *Hybrid Generality* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
       1.3.8.  *High performance*  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
       1.3.9.  *High space efficiency* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
       1.3.10. *Minimal duplicate information* . . . . . . . . . . .  14
   2.  Non-separability spectrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
   3.  Artifacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  16
     3.1.  Artifact locations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  16
     3.2.  Artifact Location Comparison Example  . . . . . . . . . .  17
   4.  Need-For-Approval Spectrum  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  21
   5.  EUF-CMA Challenges  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  23
   6.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  23
   7.  Discussion of Advantages/Disadvantages  . . . . . . . . . . .  24
     7.1.  Backwards compatibility vs. SNS . . . . . . . . . . . . .  24



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     7.2.  Backwards compatibility vs. hybrid unforgeability . . . .  24
     7.3.  Simultaneous verification vs. low need for approval . . .  24
   8.  Acknowledgements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  24
   9.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25
   Authors' Addresses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  26

1.  Introduction

   The initial focus on the transition to use of post-quantum algorithms
   in protocols has largely been on confidentiality, given the potential
   risk of store and decrypt attacks, where data encrypted today using
   traditional algorithms could be decrypted in the future by an
   attacker with a Cryptographically-Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC).
   While traditional authentication is only at risk once a CRQC exists,
   it is important to consider the transition to post-quantum
   authentication before this point.  This is particularly relevant for
   systems where algorithm turn-over is complex or takes a long time
   (e.g., long-lived systems with hardware roots of trust), or where
   future checks on past authenticity play a role (e.g., digital
   signatures on legal documents).

   The relative newness of many (although not all) post-quantum
   algorithms means that less cryptanalysis of such algorithms is
   available than for long-established counterparts, such as RSA and
   elliptic-curve based solutions for confidentiality and authenticity.
   This has drawn attention to hybrid cryptographic schemes, which
   combine both traditional and post-quantum (or more generally next-
   generation) algorithms in one cryptographic scheme.  These may offer
   increased assurance for implementers, namely that as long as the
   security of one of the two component algorithms of the hybrid scheme
   holds, the confidentiality or authenticity offered by that scheme is
   maintained.

   Whether or not hybridization is desired depends on the use case and
   security threat model.  Conservative users may not have complete
   trust in the post-quantum algorithms or implementations available,
   while also recognizing a need to start post-quantum transition.  For
   such users, hybridization can support near-term transition while also
   avoiding trusting solo post-quantum algorithms too early.  On the
   other hand, hybrid schemes, particularly for authentication, may
   introduce significant complexity into a system or a transition
   process, so might not be the right choice for all.  For cases where
   hybridization is determined to be advantageous, a decision on how to
   hybridize needs to be made.  With many options available, this
   document is intended to provide context on some of the trade-offs and
   nuances to consider.





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   Hybridization has been looked at for key encapsulation [HYBRIDKEM],
   and in an initial sense for digital signatures [HYBRIDSIG].  Compared
   to key encapsulation, hybridization of digital signatures, where the
   verification tag may be expected to attest to both standard and post-
   quantum components, is subtler to design and implement due to the
   potential separability of the hybrid/dual signatures and the risk of
   downgrade/stripping attacks.  There are also a range of requirements
   and properties that may be required from hybrid signatures, not all
   of which can be achieved at once.

   This document focuses on explaining advantages and disadvantages of
   different hybrid signature scheme designs and different security
   goals for them.  It is intended as a resource for designers and
   implementers of hybrid signature schemes to help them decide what
   properties they do and do not require from their scheme.  It does not
   attempt to answer the question of whether or not a hybrid scheme is
   desirable for, or should be used in a given case.  It also
   intentionally does not propose concrete hybrid signature combiners or
   instantiations thereof.  As with the data authenticity guarantees
   provided by any digital signature, the security guarantees discussed
   in this document are reliant on correct provisioning of the keys
   involved, e.g. entity authentication.

1.1.  Terminology

   We follow existing Internet drafts on hybrid terminology
   [I-D.ietf-pquip-pqt-hybrid-terminology] and hybrid key encapsulation
   mechanisms (KEM) [I-D.ietf-tls-hybrid-design] to enable settling on a
   consistent language.  We will make clear when this is not possible.
   In particular, we follow the definition of 'post-quantum algorithm',
   'traditional algorithms', and 'combiner'.  Moreover, we use the
   definition of 'certificate' to mean 'public-key certificate' as
   defined in [RFC4949].

   *  Signature scheme: A signature scheme is defined via the following
      three algorithms:

      -  KeyGen() -> (pk, sk): A probabilistic key generation algorithm,
         which generates a public verifying key pk and a secret signing
         key sk.

      -  Sign(sk, m) -> (sig): A probabilistic signature generation,
         which takes as input a secret signing key sk and a message m,
         and outputs a signature sig.







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      -  Verify(pk, sig, m) -> b: A verification algorithm, which takes
         as input a public verifying key pk, a signature sig and a
         message m, and outputs a bit b indicating accept (b=1) or
         reject (b=0) of the signature for message m.

   *  Hybrid signature scheme: Following
      [I-D.ietf-pquip-pqt-hybrid-terminology], we define a hybrid
      signature scheme to be "a multi-algorithm digital signature scheme
      made up of two or more component digital signature algorithms
      ...".  While it often makes sense for security purposes to require
      that the security of the component schemes is based on the
      hardness of different cryptographic assumptions, in other cases
      hybrid schemes might be motivated, e.g., by interoperability of
      variants on the same scheme and as such both component schemes are
      based on the same hardness assumption (e.g., both post-quantum
      assumptions or even both the same concrete assumption such as Ring
      LWE).  We allow this explicitly.  This means in particular that in
      contrast to [I-D.ietf-pquip-pqt-hybrid-terminology], we will use
      the more general term 'hybrid signature scheme' instead of
      requiring one post-quantum and one traditional algorithm (i.e.,
      PQ/T hybrid signature schemes) to allow also the combination of
      several post-quantum algorithms.  The term 'composite scheme' is
      sometimes used as a synonym for 'hybrid scheme'.  This is
      different from [I-D.ietf-pquip-pqt-hybrid-terminology] where the
      term is used as a specific instantiation of hybrid schemes such
      that "where multiple cryptographic algorithms are combined to form
      a single key or signature such that they can be treated as a
      single atomic object at the protocol level."  To avoid confusing
      we will avoid the term 'composite scheme'.

   *  Hybrid signature: A hybrid signature is the output of the hybrid
      signature scheme's signature generation.  As synonyms we might use
      'dual signature'.  For example, NIST define a dual signature as
      "two or more signatures on a common message" [NIST_PQC_FAQ].  For
      the same reason as above we will avoid using the term 'composite
      signature' although it sometimes appears as synonym for 'hybrid/
      dual signature'.

   *  Component (signature) scheme: Component signature schemes are the
      cryptographic algorithms contributing to the hybrid signature
      scheme.  This has a similar purpose as in
      [I-D.ietf-pquip-pqt-hybrid-terminology].  'Ingredient (signature)
      scheme' may be used as a synonym.

   *  Next-generation algorithms: Following
      [I-D.ietf-tls-hybrid-design], we define next-generation algorithms
      to be "algorithms which are not yet widely deployed but which may
      eventually be widely deployed".  Hybrid signatures are mostly



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      motivated by preparation for post-quantum transition or use in
      long-term post-quantum deployment, hence the reference to post-
      quantum algorithms through this draft.  However, the majority of
      the discussion in this document applies equally well to future
      transitions to other next-generation algorithms.

   *  Artifact: An artifact is evidence of the sender's intent to
      hybridize a signature that remains even if a component algorithm
      tag is removed.  Artifacts can be e.g., at the algorithmic level
      (e.g., within the digital signature), or at the protocol level
      (e.g., within the certificate), or on the system policy level
      (e.g., within the message).  Artifacts should be easily
      identifiable by the receiver in the case of signature stripping.

   *  Stripping attack: A stripping attack refers to a case where an
      adversary takes a message and hybrid signature pair and attempts
      to submit (a potential modification of) the pair to a component
      algorithm verifier.  A common example of a stripping attack
      includes a message and hybrid signature, comprised of concatenated
      post-quantum and traditional signatures, where an adversary simply
      removes the post-quantum component signature and submits the
      message and traditional component signature to a traditional
      verifier.  Stripping attacks should not be confused with component
      message forgery attacks.

   *  Component message forgery attacks: A forgery attack refers to a
      case where an adversary attempts to forge a (non-hybrid) signature
      on a message using the public key associated with a component
      algorithm.  An common example of such an attack would be a quantum
      attacker compromising the key associated with a traditional
      component algorithm and forging a message and signature pair.
      Message forgery attacks may be formalized with experiments such as
      EUF-CMA, while the difference introduced in component message
      forgery attacks is that the key is accepted for both hybrid and
      single algorithm use.  Further discussions on this appear under
      Section 5.

1.2.  Motivation for use of hybrid signature schemes

   Before diving into the design goals for hybrid digital signatures, it
   is worth taking a look at why hybrid digital signatures are desirable
   for some applications.  As many of the arguments hold in general for
   hybrid algorithms, we again refer to [I-D.ietf-tls-hybrid-design]
   that summarizes these well.  In addition, we explicate the motivation
   for hybrid signatures here.






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1.2.1.  *Complexity*

   Next-generation algorithms and their underlying hardness assumptions
   are often more complex than traditional algorithms.  For example, the
   signature scheme ML-DSA (a.k.a.  CRYSTALS-Dilithium) that has been
   selected for standardization by NIST.  While the scheme follows the
   well-known Fiat-Shamir transform to construct the signature scheme,
   it also relies on rejection sampling that is known to give cache side
   channel information (although this does not lead to a known attack).
   Likewise, the signature scheme Falcon uses complex sampling during
   signature generation.  Furthermore, recent attacks again the next-
   generation multivariate schemes Rainbow and GeMSS might call into
   question the asymptotic and concrete security for conservative
   adopters and therefore might hinder adoption.

   As such, some next-generation algorithms carry a higher risk of
   implementation mistakes and revision of parameters compared to
   traditional algorithms, such as RSA.  RSA is a relatively simple
   algorithm to understand and explain, yet during its existence and use
   there have been multiple attacks and refinements, such as adding
   requirements to how padding and keys are chosen, and implementation
   issues such as cross-protocol attacks (e.g., component message
   forgeries).  Thus, even in a relatively simple algorithm subtleties
   and caveats on implementation and use can arise over time.  Given the
   complexity of next generation algorithms, the chance of such
   discoveries and caveats needs to be taken into account.

   Of note, some next generation algorithms have received substantial
   analysis attention, for example through the NIST Post-Quantum
   Cryptography Standardization Process [NIST_PQC_FAQ].  Thus, if and
   when further information on caveats and implementation issues come to
   light, it is less likely that a "break" will be catastrophic.
   Instead, such vulnerabilities and issues may represent a weakening of
   security - which may in turn be offset if a hybrid approach has been
   used.  The complexity of post-quantum algorithms needs to be balanced
   against the fact that hybridization itself adds more complexity to a
   protocol and introduces the risk of implementation mistakes in the
   hybridization process.













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   One example of a next generation algorithm is the signature scheme
   ML-DSA (a.k.a.  CRYSTALS-Dilithium) that has been selected for
   standardization by NIST.  While the scheme follows the well-known
   Fiat-Shamir transform to construct the signature scheme, it also
   relies on rejection sampling that is known to give cache side channel
   information (although this does not lead to a known attack).
   Furthermore, recent attacks again the post-quantum multivariate
   schemes Rainbow and GeMSS might call into question the asymptotic and
   concrete security for conservative adopters and therefore might
   hinder adoption.

1.2.2.  *Time*

   The need to transition to post-quantum algorithms now while
   simultaneously being aware of potential, hidden subtleties in their
   resistance to standard attacks drives transition designs towards
   hybridization.  Mosca’s equation [MOSCA] very simply illustrates the
   risk of post-quantum transition delay: l + d > q, where l is the
   information life-span, d is the time for system transition to post-
   quantum algorithms, and q is the time before a quantum computer is
   ready to execute cryptanalysis.  In terms of risk to data
   confidentiality guarantees and therefore key exchange and KEM
   algorithms, application of this equation is straightforward.  In
   contrast, it may not be obvious why there is urgency for an adoption
   of post-quantum signatures; namely, while encryption is subject to
   store-now-decrypt-later attacks, there may not seem to be a parallel
   notion for authenticity, i.e., 'store-now-modify-later attacks'.

   However, in larger systems, including national systems, space
   systems, large healthcare support systems, and critical
   infrastructure, where acquisition and procurement time can be
   measured in years and algorithm replacement may be difficult or even
   practically impossible, this equation can have drastic implications.
   In such systems, algorithm turn-over can be complex and difficult and
   can take considerable time (such as in long-lived systems with
   hardware deployment), meaning that an algorithm may be committed to
   long-term, with no option for replacement.  Long-term commitment
   creates further urgency for immediate post-quantum algorithm
   selection.  Additionally, for some sectors future checks on past
   authenticity plays a role (e.g., many legal, financial, auditing, and
   governmental systems).  The 'store-now-modify-later' analogy would
   present challenges in such sectors, where future analysis of past
   authentication may be more critical than in e.g., internet connection
   use cases.  As such there is an eagerness to use post-quantum
   signature algorithms for some applications.






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1.3.  Goals

   There are various security goals that can be achieved through
   hybridization.  The following provides a summary of these goals,
   while also noting where security goals are in conflict, i.e., that
   achievement of one goal precludes another, such as backwards
   compatibility.

1.3.1.  *Hybrid Authentication*

   One goal of hybrid signature schemes is security.  As defined in
   [I-D.ietf-pquip-pqt-hybrid-terminology], ideally a hybrid signature
   scheme can achieve 'hybrid authentication' which is the property that
   (cryptographic) authentication is achieved by the hybrid signature
   scheme provided that a least one component signature algorithm
   remains 'secure'.  There might be, however, other goals in
   competition with this one, such as backward-compatibility.  Hybrid
   authentication is an umbrella term that encompasses more specific
   concepts of hybrid signature security, such as 'hybrid
   unforgeability' described next.

1.3.1.1.  *Hybrid Unforgeability*

   Hybrid unforgeability is a specific type of hybrid authentication,
   where the security assumption for the scheme, e.g.  EUF-CMA, is
   maintained as long as at least one of the component schemes is EUF-
   CMA secure without a prioritisation.  We call this notion 'hybrid
   unforgeability'; it is a specific type of hybrid authentication.  For
   example, the concatenation combiner in [HYBRIDSIG] is 'hybrid
   unforgeable'.  As mentioned above, this might be incompatible with
   backward-compatibility, where the EUF-CMA security of the hybrid
   signature relies solely on the security of one of the component
   schemes instead of relying on both, e.g., the dual message combiner
   using nesting in [HYBRIDSIG].  For more details, we refer to our
   discussion below.  Note that unlike EUF-CMA security, SUF-CMA
   security of the hybrid scheme may rely on SUF-CMA security of both
   component schemes achieving SUF-CMA, depending on the hybridization
   approach.  For instance, this can be clearly seen under a
   concatenation combiner where the hybrid signature is comprised of two
   distinct component signatures; in that case, if either component
   signature does not offer SUF-CMA, the hybrid does not achieve SUF-
   CMA.

   Use cases where a hybrid scheme is used with, e.g., EUF-CMA security
   assumed for only one component scheme generally use hybrid techniques
   for their 'functional transition' pathway support, while fully
   trusting either the traditional or post-quantum algorithm.  E.g.,
   hybrid signatures may be used as a transition step for when a system



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   or system-of-systems is comprised of some verifiers that support
   traditional signatures only while other verifiers are upgraded to
   also support post-quantum signatures.  In this example, a system
   manager is using hybrid signatures as a 'functional transition'
   support, but not yet expecting different security guarantees.  As
   such, EUF-CMA security is assumed for one component algorithm.

   In contrast, use cases where a hybrid scheme is used with e.g., EUF-
   CMA security assumed for both component schemes without
   prioritisation between them can use hybrid techniques for both
   functional transition and security transition, where it may not be
   known which algorithm should be relied upon.

1.3.2.  *Proof Composability*

   Under proof composability, the component algorithms are combined in
   such a way that it is possible to prove a security reduction from the
   security properties of a hybrid signature scheme to the properties of
   the respective component signature schemes and, potentially, other
   building blocks such as hash functions, KDF, etc.  Otherwise an
   entirely new proof of security is required, and there is a lack of
   assurance that the combination builds on the standardization
   processes and analysis performed to date on component algorithms.
   The resulting hybrid signature would be, in effect, an entirely new
   algorithm of its own.  The more the component signature schemes are
   entangled, the more likely it is that an entirely new proof is
   required, thus not meeting proof composability.

1.3.3.  *Weak Non-Separability*

   Non-Separability was one of the earliest properties of hybrid digital
   signatures to be discussed [HYBRIDSIG].  It was defined as the
   guarantee that an adversary cannot simply “remove” one of the
   component signatures without evidence left behind.  For example there
   are artifacts that a carefully designed verifier may be able to
   identify, or that are identifiable in later audits.  This was later
   termed Weak Non-Separability (WNS) [HYBRIDSIGDESIGN].  Note that WNS
   does not restrict an adversary from potentially creating a valid
   component digital signature from a hybrid one (a signature stripping
   attack), but rather implies that such a digital signature will
   contain artifacts of the separation.  Thus authentication that is
   normally assured under correct verification of digital signature(s),
   is now potentially also reliant on further investigation on the
   receiver side that may extend well beyond traditional signature
   verification behavior.  For instance, this can intuitively be seen in
   cases of a message containing a context note on hybrid
   authentication, that is then signed by all component algorithms/the
   hybrid signature scheme.  If an adversary removes one component



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   signature but not the other, then artifacts in the message itself
   point to the possible existence of hybrid signature such as a label
   stating “this message must be hybrid signed”. This might be a counter
   measure against stripping attacks if the verifier expects a hybrid
   signature scheme to have this property.  However, it places the
   responsibility of signature validity not only on the correct format
   of the message, as in a traditional signature security guarantee, but
   the precise content thereof.

1.3.4.  *Strong Non-Separability*

   Strong Non-Separability (SNS) is a stronger notion of WNS, introduced
   in [HYBRIDSIGDESIGN].  SNS guarantees that an adversary cannot take
   as input a hybrid signature (and message) and output a valid
   component signature (and potentially different message) that will
   verify correctly.  In other words, separation of the hybrid signature
   into component signatures implies that the component signature will
   fail verification (of the component signature scheme) entirely.
   Therefore, authentication is provided by the sender to the receiver
   through correct verification of the digital signature(s), as in
   traditional signature security experiments.  It is not dependent on
   other components, such as message content checking, or protocol level
   aspects, such as public key provenance.  As an illustrative example
   distinguishing WNS from SNS, consider the case of component
   algorithms Sigma_1.Sign and Sigma_2.Sign where the hybrid signature
   is computed as a concatenation (sig_1, sig_2), where sig_1 =
   Sigma_1.Sign(hybridAlgID, m) and sig_2 = Sigma_2.Sign(hybridAlgID,
   m).  In this case, a new message m' = (hybridAlgID, m) along with
   signature sig_1 and Sigma_1.pk, with the hybrid artifact embedded in
   the message instead of the signature, could be correctly verified.
   The separation would be identifiable through further investigation
   but the signature verification itself would not fail.  Thus, this
   case shows WNS (assuming the verification algorithm is defined
   accordingly) but not SNS.

   Some work [I-D.ounsworth-pq-composite-sigs] has looked at reliance on
   the public key certificate chains to explicitly define hybrid use of
   the public key.  Namely, that Sigma_1.pk cannot be used without
   Sigma_2.pk.  This implies pushing the hybrid artifacts into the
   protocol and system level and a dependency on the security of other
   verification algorithms (namely those in the certificate chain).
   This further requires that security analysis of a hybrid digital
   signature requires analysis of the key provenance, i.e., not simply
   that a valid public key is used but how its hybridization and hybrid
   artifacts have been managed throughout the entire chain.  External
   dependencies such as this may imply hybrid artifacts lie outside the
   scope of the signature algorithm itself.  SNS may potentially be
   achievable based on dependencies at the system level.



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1.3.5.  *Backwards/Forwards Compatibility*

   Backwards compatibility refers to the property where a hybrid
   signature may be verified by only verifying one component signature,
   allowing the scheme to be used by legacy receivers.  In general this
   means verifying the traditional component signature scheme,
   potentially ignoring the post-quantum signature entirely.  This
   provides an option to transition sender systems to post-quantum
   algorithms while still supporting select legacy receivers.  Notably,
   this is a verification property; the sender has provided a hybrid
   digital signature, but the verifier is allowed, due to internal
   policy and/or implementation, to only verify one component signature.
   Backwards compatibility may be further decomposed to subcategories
   where component key provenance is either separate or hybrid so as to
   support implementations that cannot recognize (and/or process) hybrid
   signatures or keys.

   Forwards compatibility has also been a consideration in hybrid
   proposals [I-D.becker-guthrie-noncomposite-hybrid-auth].  Forward
   compatibility assumes that hybrid signature schemes will be used for
   some time, but that eventually all systems will transition to use
   only one (particularly, only one post-quantum) algorithm.  As this is
   very similar to backwards compatibility, it also may imply
   separability of a hybrid algorithm; however, it could also simply
   imply capability to support separate component signatures.  Thus the
   key distinction between backwards and forwards compatibility is that
   backwards compatibility may be needed for legacy systems that cannot
   use and/or process hybrid or post-quantum signatures, whereas in
   forwards compatibility the system has those capabilities and can
   choose what to support (e.g., for efficiency reasons).

   As noted in [I-D.ietf-tls-hybrid-design], ideally, forward/backward
   compatibility is achieved using redundant information as little as
   possible.

1.3.6.  *Simultaneous Verification*

   Simultaneous Verification (SV) builds on SNS and was first introduced
   in [HYBRIDSIGDESIGN].  SV requires that not only are all component
   signatures needed to achieve a successful verification present in the
   hybrid signature, but also that verification of both component
   algorithms occurs roughly simultaneously.  Namely, "missing"
   information needs to be computed by the verifier so that a normally
   functioning verification algorithm cannot “quit” the verification
   process before both component signatures are verified.  This may
   additionally cover some error-injection and similar attacks, where an
   adversary attempts to make an otherwise honest verifier skip
   component algorithm verification.  SV mimics traditional digital



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   signatures guarantees, essentially ensuring that the hybrid digital
   signature behaves as a single algorithm vs. two separate component
   stages.  Alternatively phrased, under an SV guarantee it is not
   possible for an otherwise honest verifier to initiate termination of
   the hybrid verification upon successful verification of one component
   algorithm without also knowing if the other component succeeded.
   Note that SV does not prevent dishonest verification, such as if a
   verifier maliciously implements a customized verification algorithm
   that is designed with intention to subvert the hybrid verification
   process or skips signature verification altogether.

1.3.7.  *Hybrid Generality*

   Hybrid generality means that a general signature combiner is defined,
   based on inherent and common structures of component digital
   signatures "categories."  For instance, since multiple signature
   schemes use a Fiat-Shamir Transform, a hybrid scheme based on the
   transform can be made that is generalizable to all such signatures.
   Such generality can also result in simplified constructions whereas
   more tailored hybrid variants might be more efficient in terms of
   sizes and performance.

1.3.8.  *High performance*

   Similarly to performance goals noted for hybridization of other
   cryptographic components [I-D.ietf-tls-hybrid-design] hybrid
   signature constructions are expected to be as performant as possible.
   For most hybrid signatures this means that the computation time
   should only minimally exceed the sum of the component signature
   computation time.  It is noted that performance of any variety may
   come at the cost of other properties, such as hybrid generality.

1.3.9.  *High space efficiency*

   Similarly to space considerations in [I-D.ietf-tls-hybrid-design],
   hybrid signature constructions are expected to be as space performant
   as possible.  This includes messages (as they might increase if
   artifacts are used), public keys, and the hybrid signature.  For the
   hybrid signature, size should no more than minimally exceed the
   signature size of the two component signatures.  In some cases, it
   may be possible for a hybrid signature to be smaller than the
   concatenation of the two component signatures.









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1.3.10.  *Minimal duplicate information*

   Duplicated information should be avoided when possible, as a general
   point of efficiency.  This might include repeated information in
   hybrid certificates or in the communication of component certificates
   in additional to hybrid certificates (for example to achieve
   backwards/forwards-compatibility), or sending multiple public keys or
   signatures of the same component algorithm.

2.  Non-separability spectrum

   Non-separability is not a singular definition but rather is a scale,
   representing degrees of separability hardness, visualized in
   Figure 1.

|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|**No Non-Separability**
| no artifacts exist
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|**Weak Non-Separability**
| artifacts exist in the message, signature, system, application, or protocol
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|**Strong Non-Separability**
| artifacts exist in hybrid signature
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|**Strong Non-Separability w/ Simultaneous Verification**
| artifacts exist in hybrid signature and verification or failure of both
| components occurs simultaneously
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
â–¼

  Figure 1: Spectrum of non-separability from weakest to strongest.

   At one end of the spectrum are schemes in which one of the component
   signatures can be stripped away with the verifier not being able to
   detect the change during verification.  An example of this includes
   simple concatenation of signatures without any artifacts used.
   Nested signatures (where a message is signed by one component
   algorithm and then the message-signature combination is signed by the
   second component algorithm) may also fall into this category,
   dependent on whether the inner or outer signature is stripped off
   without any artifacts remaining.

   Next on the spectrum are weakly non-separable signatures.  Under Weak
   Non-Separability, if one of the component signatures of a hybrid is
   removed artifacts of the hybrid will remain (in the message,
   signature, or at the protocol level, etc.).  This may enable the
   verifier to detect if a component signature is stripped away from a



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   hybrid signature, but that detectability depends highly on the type
   of artifact and permissions.  For instance, if a message contains a
   label artifact "This message must be signed with a hybrid signature"
   then the system must be allowed to analyze the message contents for
   possible artifacts.  Whether a hybrid signature offers (Weak/Strong)
   Non-Separability might also depend on the implementation and policy
   of the protocol or application the hybrid signature is used in on the
   verifier side.  Such policies may be further ambiguous to the sender,
   meaning that the type of authenticity offered to the receiver is
   unclear.  In another example, under nested signatures the verifier
   could be tricked into interpreting a new message as the message/inner
   signature combination and verify only the outer signature.  In this
   case, the inner signature-tag is an artifact.

   Third on the scale is the Strong Non-Separability notion, in which
   separability detection is dependent on artifacts in the signature
   itself.  Unlike in Weak Non-Separability, where artifacts may be in
   the actual message, the certificate, or in other non-signature
   components, this notion more closely ties to traditional algorithm
   security notions (such as EUF-CMA) where security is dependent on the
   internal construct of the signature algorithm and its verification.
   In this type, the verifier can detect artifacts on an algorithmic
   level during verification.  For example, the signature itself may
   encode the information that a hybrid signature scheme is used.
   Examples of this type may be found in [HYBRIDSIGDESIGN].

   For schemes achieving the most demanding security notion, Strong Non-
   Separability with Simultaneous Verification, verification succeeds
   not only when both of the component signatures are present but also
   only when the verifier has verified both signatures.  Moreover, no
   information is leaked to the receiver during the verification process
   on the possible validity of the component signatures until both
   verify (or verification failure may or may not be attributable to a
   specific component algorithm).  This construct most closely mirrors
   traditional digital signatures where, assuming that the verifier does
   verify a signature at all, the result is either a positive
   verification of the full signature or a failure if the signature is
   not valid.  For fused hybrid signatures, a full signature implies the
   fusion of both component algorithms, and therefore this type of
   construction has the potential to achieve the strongest non-
   separability notion which ensures an all-or-nothing approach to
   verification, regardless of adversarial action.  Examples of
   algorithms providing this type of security can be found in
   [HYBRIDSIGDESIGN].







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3.  Artifacts

   Hybridization benefits from the presence of artifacts as evidence of
   the sender's intent to decrease the risk of successful stripping
   attacks.  This, however, depends strongly on where such evidence
   resides (e.g., in the message, the signature, or somewhere on the
   protocol level instead of at the algorithmic level).  Even commonly
   discussed hybrid approaches, such as concatenation, are not
   inherently tied to one type of security (e.g., WNS or SNS).  This can
   lead to ambiguities when comparing different approaches and
   assumptions about security or lack thereof.  Thus in this section we
   cover artifact locations and also walk through a high-level
   comparison of a few hybrid categories to show how artifact location
   can differ within a given approach.  Artifact location is tied to
   non-separability notions above; thus the selection of a given
   security guarantee and general hybrid approach must also include
   finer grained selection of artifact placement.

3.1.  Artifact locations

   There are a variety of artifact locations possible, ranging from
   within the message to the signature algorithm to the protocol level
   and even into policy, as shown in Table 1.  For example, one artifact
   location could be in the message to be signed, e.g., containing a
   label artifact.  Depending on the hybrid type, it might be possible
   to strip this away.  For example, a quantum attacker could strip away
   the post-quantum signature of a concatenated dual signature, and
   (being able to forge, e.g., ECDSA signatures) remove the label
   artifact from the message as well.  So, for many applications and
   threat models, adding an artifact in the message might be
   insufficient under stripping attacks.  Another artifact location
   could be in the public key certificates as described in
   [I-D.ounsworth-pq-composite-sigs].  In such a case, the artifacts are
   still present even if a stripping attack occurs.  In yet another
   case, artifacts may be present through the fused hybrid method, thus
   making them part of the signature at the algorithmic level.  Note
   that in this latter case, it is not possible for an adversary to
   strip one of the component signatures or use a component of the
   hybrid to create a forgery for a component algorithm.  Such
   signatures provide SNS.  This consequently also implies that the
   artifacts of hybridization are absolute in that verification failure
   would occur if an adversary tries to remove them.

   Eventual security analysis may be a consideration in choosing between
   levels.  For example, if the security of the hybrid scheme is
   dependent on system policy, then cryptographic analysis must
   necessarily be reliant on specific policies and it may not be
   possible to describe a scheme's security in a standalone sense.



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        +=============================================+===========+
        | Location of artifacts of hybrid intent      | Level     |
        +=============================================+===========+
        | Signature                                   | Algorithm |
        +---------------------------------------------+-----------+
        | Certificate                                 | Protocol  |
        +---------------------------------------------+-----------+
        | Algorithm agreement / negotiation           | Protocol  |
        +---------------------------------------------+-----------+
        | Message                                     | Policy    |
        +---------------------------------------------+-----------+

                     Table 1: Artifact placement levels

3.2.  Artifact Location Comparison Example

   Here we provide a high-level example of how artifacts can appear in
   different locations even within a single, common approach.  We look
   at the following categories of approaches: concatenation, nesting,
   and fusion.  This is to illustrate that a given approach does not
   inherently imply a specific non-separability notion and that there
   are subtleties to the selection decision, since hybrid artifacts are
   related to non-separability guarantees.  Additionally, this
   comparison highlights how artifacts placement can be identical in two
   different hybrid approaches.

   We briefly summarize the hybrid approach categories (concatenation,
   nesting, and fusion) for clarity in description, before showing how
   each one may have artifacts in different locations in Table 2.

   *  Concatenation: variants of hybridization where, for component
      algorithms Sigma_1.Sign and Sigma_2.Sign, the hybrid signature is
      calculated as a concatenation (sig_1, sig_2) such that sig_1 =
      Sigma_1.Sign(hybridAlgID, m) and sig_2 = Sigma_2.Sign(hybridAlgID,
      m).

   *  Nesting: variants of hybridization where for component algorithms
      Sigma_1.Sign and Sigma_2.Sign, the hybrid signature is calculated
      in a layered approach as (sig_1, sig_2) such that, e.g., sig_1 =
      Sigma_1.Sign(hybridAlgID, m) and sig_2 = Sigma_2.Sign(hybridAlgID,
      (m, sig_1)).

   *  Fused hybrid: variants of hybridization where for component
      algorithms Sigma_1.Sign and Sigma_2.Sign, the hybrid signature is
      calculated to generate a single hybrid signature sig_h that cannot
      be cleanly separated to form one or more valid component
      constructs.  For example, if both signature schemes are signatures
      schemes constructed through the Fiat-Shamir transform, the



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      component signatures would include responses r_1 and r_2 and
      challenges c_1 and c_2, where c_1 and c_2 are hashes computed over
      the respective commitments comm_1 and comm_2 (and the message).  A
      fused hybrid signature could consist of the component responses,
      r_1 and r_2 and a challenge c that is computed as a hash over both
      commitments, i.e., c = Hash((comm_1, comm_2), Hash2(message)).  As
      such, c does not belong to either of the component signatures but
      rather both, meaning that the signatures are 'entangled'.











































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       +====+=======================+=============================+
       | #  | Location of artifacts | Category                    |
       |    | of hybrid intent      |                             |
       +====+=======================+=============================+
       |    |                       | *Concatenated*              |
       +----+-----------------------+-----------------------------+
       | 1  | None                  | No label in message, public |
       |    |                       | keys are in separate certs  |
       +----+-----------------------+-----------------------------+
       | 2  | In message            | Label in message, public    |
       |    |                       | keys are in separate certs  |
       +----+-----------------------+-----------------------------+
       | 3  | In cert               | No label in message, public |
       |    |                       | keys are in combined cert   |
       +----+-----------------------+-----------------------------+
       | 4  | In message and cert   | Label in message, public    |
       |    |                       | keys are in combined cert   |
       +----+-----------------------+-----------------------------+
       |    |                       | *Nested*                    |
       +----+-----------------------+-----------------------------+
       | 5  | In message            | Label in message, public    |
       |    |                       | keys are in separate certs  |
       +----+-----------------------+-----------------------------+
       | 6  | In cert               | No label in message, public |
       |    |                       | keys are in combined cert   |
       +----+-----------------------+-----------------------------+
       | 7  | In message and cert   | Label in message, public    |
       |    |                       | keys are in combined cert   |
       +----+-----------------------+-----------------------------+
       |    |                       | *Fused*                     |
       +----+-----------------------+-----------------------------+
       | 8  | In signature          | Public keys are in separate |
       |    |                       | certs                       |
       +----+-----------------------+-----------------------------+
       | 9  | In signature and      | Label in message, public    |
       |    | message               | keys are in separate certs  |
       +----+-----------------------+-----------------------------+
       | 10 | In signature and cert | Public keys are in combined |
       |    |                       | cert                        |
       +----+-----------------------+-----------------------------+
       | 11 | In signature and      | Label in message, public    |
       |    | message and cert      | keys are in combined cert   |
       +----+-----------------------+-----------------------------+

           Table 2: Artifact locations depending on the hybrid
                              signature type





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   As can be seen, while concatenation may appear to refer to a single
   type of combiner, there are in fact several possible artifact
   locations depending on implementation choices.  Artifacts help to
   support detection in the case of stripping attacks, which means that
   different artifact locations imply different overall system
   implementation considerations to be able to achieve such detection.

   Case 1 provides the weakest guarantees of hybrid identification, as
   there are no prescribed artifacts and therefore non-separability is
   not achieved.  However, as can be seen, this does not imply that
   every implementation using concatenation fails to achieve non-
   separability.  Thus, it is advisable for implementors to be
   transparent about artifact locations.

   In cases 2 and 5 the artifacts lie within the message.  This is
   notable as the authenticity of the message relies on the validity of
   the signature, and the artifact location means that the signature in
   turn relies on the authentic content of the message (the artifact
   label).  This creates a risk of circular dependency.  Alternative
   approaches such as cases 3 and 4 solve this circular dependency by
   provisioning keys in a combined certificate.

   Another observation from this comparison is that artifact locations
   may be similar among some approaches.  For instance, case 3 and case
   6 both contain artifacts in the certificate.  Naturally these
   examples are high-level and further specification on concrete schemes
   in the categories are needed before prescribing non-separability
   guarantees to each, but this does indicate how there could be a
   strong similarity between such guarantees.  Such comparisons allow
   for a systematic decision process, where security is compared and
   identified and, if schemes are similar in the desired security goal,
   then decisions between schemes can be based on performance and
   implementation ease.

   A final observation that this type of comparison provides is how
   various combiners may change the security analysis assumptions in a
   system.  For instance, cases 3, 4, 5, and 6 all push artifacts - and
   therefore the signature validity - into the certificate chain.
   Naturally the entire chain must then also use a similar combiner if a
   straightforward security argument is to be made.  Other cases, such
   as 8, 9, 10, and 11 put artifacts within the signature itself,
   meaning that these bear the closest resemblance to traditional
   schemes where message authenticity is dependent on signature
   validity.







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4.  Need-For-Approval Spectrum

   In practice, use of hybrid digital signatures relies on standards
   specifications where applicable.  This is particularly relevant in
   the case of FIPS approval considerations as well as NIST, which has
   provided basic guidance on hybrid signature use.  NIST provides the
   following guidance (emphasis added),

      Assume that in a [hybrid] signature, _one signature is generated
      with a NIST-approved signature scheme as specified in FIPS 186,
      while another signature(s) can be generated using different
      schemes_, e.g., ones that are not currently specified in NIST
      standards..._hybrid signatures can be accommodated by current
      standards in FIPS mode, as defined in FIPS 140, provided at least
      one of the component methods is a properly implemented, NIST-
      approved signature algorithm_. For the purposes of FIPS 140
      validation, any signature that is generated by a non-approved
      component scheme would not be considered a security function,
      since the NIST-approved component is regarded as assuring the
      validity of the hybrid signature.  [NIST_PQC_FAQ]

   The emphasized texts point to two things: 1) the signature scheme for
   one of the component algorithms must be approved and 2) that said
   algorithm must be properly implemented.  This leaves some ambiguity
   as to whether only the algorithm must be approved and well
   implemented, or if that implementation must go through an approval
   process as well.  As such, there is a scale of approval that
   developers may consider as to whether they are using at least one
   approved component algorithm (1-out-of-n approved software module),
   or whether the implementation of that component algorithm has gone
   through an approvals review (thus making a all approved software
   module).  The former 1-out-of-n approved software module would
   suggest a straightforward path for FIPS-140 approvals based on the
   NIST guidelines; however, it is not inconceivable that using a all
   approved software module could automate much of the certification
   review and therefore be attractive to developers.

   We provide a scale for the different nuances of approval of the
   hybrid combiners.  This is related to whether the combiner needs a
   new approval process or falls under already approved specifications.











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| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **New Algorithm**
| New signature scheme based on a selection of hardness assumptions
| Separate approval needed
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **No Approved Software Module**
| Hybrid combiner supports security analysis that can be reduced to
| approved component algorithms, potentially changing the component implementations
| Uncertainty about whether separate approval is needed
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **1-out-of-n Approved Software Module**
| Combiner supports one component algorithm and implementation  in a black-box way
| but potentially changes the other component algorithm implementation(s)
| No new approval needed if the black-box component (implementation) is approved
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **All Approved Software Modules**
| Hybrid combiner acts as a wrapper, fully independent of the component
| signature scheme implementations
| No new approval needed if at least one component implementation is approved
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
â–¼

          Figure 2: Generality / Need-for-approval spectrum

   The first listed "combiner" would be a new construction with a
   security reduction to different hardness assumptions but not
   necessarily to approved (or even existing) signature schemes.  Such a
   new, singular algorithm relies on both traditional and nextgen
   principles.

   Next, is a combiner that might take inspiration from existing/
   approved signature schemes such that its security can be reduced to
   the security of the approved algorithms.  The combiner may, however,
   alter the implementations.  As such it is uncertain whether new
   approval would be needed as it might depend on the combiner and
   changes.  Such a case may potentially imply a distinction between a
   need for fresh approval of the algorithm(s) and approval of the
   implementation(s).

   The 1-out-of-n combiner uses at least one approved algorithm
   implementation in a black-box way.  It may potentially change the
   specifics of the other component algorithm implementations.  As long
   as at least one component is approved, no new approval is needed (per
   [NIST_PQC_FAQ]).

   In an All-Approved combiner, all algorithm implementations are used
   in a black-box way.  A concatenation combiner is a simple example
   (where a signature is valid if all component signatures are valid).



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   As long as at least one component is approved, no new approval is
   needed (per [NIST_PQC_FAQ]); thus as all algorithm implementations
   are approved the requirement is satisfied.

5.  EUF-CMA Challenges

   Under traditional signature scheme security assumptions such as EUF-
   CMA, the adversary 'wins' the security experiment if it can produce a
   new message such that a message-signature pair (m, sig) correctly
   verifies.  This traditional security notion has several layers of
   nuance under a hybrid construct.

   The most straightforward extension of the traditional EUF-CMA
   security game would be for the adversary to attempt to produce a new
   message m' that a message-hybrid signature pair (m', sig_h) correctly
   verifies.  However, achieving EUF-CMA security in such a
   straightforward way depends on the signature choice being strongly
   non-separable.

   Otherwise, in practical terms, a security experiment must capture the
   case that an existing or new message m could be verified with a
   component signature, e.g., to produce (m', sig_1) that correctly
   verifies under Sigma_1.Verify.  As noted in
   [I-D.ounsworth-pq-composite-sigs], if such component-wise
   verification is possible, some concatenated or nested hybrid
   signatures actually do not achieve EUF-CMA.  To mitigate the issue,
   dedicated keys can be used for the hybrid signature, i.e., keys which
   are not allowed to be used in cases of standalone component algorithm
   verification.  While such a policy requirement alleviates the risk of
   an EUF-CMA attack such component message forgeries and as that
   described in [I-D.ounsworth-pq-composite-sigs], it is a policy
   mitigation and is beyond the scope of normal security analysis and
   cryptographic modeling.  Such subtleties in considerations would need
   to be accounted for depending on the signature combiner method
   chosen.

6.  Security Considerations

   This document discusses digital signature constructions that may be
   used in security protocols.  It is an informational document and does
   not directly affect any other Internet draft.  The security
   considerations for any specific implementation or incorporation of a
   hybrid scheme should be discussed in the relevant specification
   documents.







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7.  Discussion of Advantages/Disadvantages

   The design (and hence, security guarantees) of hybrid signature
   schemes depend heavily on the properties needed for the application
   or protocol using hybrid signatures.  It seems that not all goals can
   be achieved simultaneously as exemplified below.

7.1.  Backwards compatibility vs. SNS

   There is an inherent mutual exclusion between backwards compatibility
   and SNS.  While WNS allows for a valid separation under leftover
   artifacts, SNS will ensure verification failure if a receiver
   attempts separation.

7.2.  Backwards compatibility vs. hybrid unforgeability

   Similarly, there is an inherent mutual exclusion between backwards
   compatibility, when acted upon, and hybrid unforgeability as briefly
   mentioned above.  Since the goal of backwards compatibility is
   usually to allow legacy systems without any software change to be
   able to process hybrid signatures, all differences between the legacy
   signature format and the hybrid signature format must be allowed to
   be ignored, including skipping verification of signatures additional
   to the classical signature.  As such, if a system does skip an
   component signature, security does not rely on the security of all
   component signatures.  Note that this mutual exclusion occurs at the
   verification stage, as a hybrid signature that is verified by a
   system that can process both component schemes can provide hybrid
   unforgeability even if another (legacy) system, processing the same
   hybrid signature, loses that property.

7.3.  Simultaneous verification vs. low need for approval

   It seems that the more simultaneous verification is enforced by the
   hybrid design, the higher is the need-for-approval as simultaneous
   verification algorithms fuse (or 'entangle') the verification of the
   component algorithms such that verification operations from the
   different component schemes depend on each other in some way.  For
   example, concatenation of signatures in a black-box way without any
   artefacts is, e.g., FIPS-approved, but the component signatures are
   usually verified separately and no 'simultaneous verification' is
   enforced.

8.  Acknowledgements

   This draft is based on the template of [I-D.ietf-tls-hybrid-design].





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   We would like to acknowledge the following people in alphabetical
   order who have contributed to pushing this draft forward, offered
   insights and perspectives, and/or stimulated work in the area:

   Scott Fluhrer, Felix Günther, John Gray, Serge Mister, Max Pala, Mike
   Ounsworth, Douglas Stebila, Falko Strenzke, Brendan Zember

9.  Informative References

   [HYBRIDKEM]
              Bindel, N., Brendel, J., Fischlin, M., Goncalves, B., and
              D. Stebila, "Hybrid Key Encapsulation Mechanisms and
              Authenticated Key Exchange", Post-Quantum Cryptography
              pp.206-226, DOI 10.1007/978-3-030-25510-7_12, July 2019,
              <https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25510-7_12>.

   [HYBRIDSIG]
              Bindel, N., Herath, U., McKague, M., and D. Stebila,
              "Transitioning to a Quantum-Resistant Public Key
              Infrastructure", May 2017,
              <https://eprint.iacr.org/2017/460>.

   [HYBRIDSIGDESIGN]
              Bindel, N. and B. Hale, "A Note on Hybrid Signature
              Schemes", March 2023, <https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/423>.

   [I-D.becker-guthrie-noncomposite-hybrid-auth]
              Becker, A., Guthrie, R., and M. J. Jenkins, "Non-Composite
              Hybrid Authentication in PKIX and Applications to Internet
              Protocols", Work in Progress, Internet-Draft, draft-
              becker-guthrie-noncomposite-hybrid-auth-00, 22 March 2022,
              <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-becker-
              guthrie-noncomposite-hybrid-auth-00>.

   [I-D.ietf-pquip-pqt-hybrid-terminology]
              D, F., P, M., and B. Hale, "Terminology for Post-Quantum
              Traditional Hybrid Schemes", Work in Progress, Internet-
              Draft, draft-ietf-pquip-pqt-hybrid-terminology-04, 10
              September 2024, <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/
              draft-ietf-pquip-pqt-hybrid-terminology-04>.

   [I-D.ietf-tls-hybrid-design]
              Stebila, D., Fluhrer, S., and S. Gueron, "Hybrid key
              exchange in TLS 1.3", Work in Progress, Internet-Draft,
              draft-ietf-tls-hybrid-design-11, 7 October 2024,
              <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-ietf-tls-
              hybrid-design-11>.




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   [I-D.ounsworth-pq-composite-sigs]
              Ounsworth, M., Gray, J., Pala, M., and J. Klaußner,
              "Composite ML-DSA for use in Internet PKI", Work in
              Progress, Internet-Draft, draft-ounsworth-pq-composite-
              sigs-13, 4 March 2024,
              <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-ounsworth-pq-
              composite-sigs-13>.

   [MOSCA]    Kaye, P., Laflamme, R., and M. Mosca, "An Introduction to
              Quantum Computing, Oxford University Press", November
              2007.

   [NIST_PQC_FAQ]
              National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
              "Post-Quantum Cryptography FAQs", 5 July 2022,
              <https://csrc.nist.gov/Projects/post-quantum-cryptography/
              faqs>.

   [RFC4949]  Shirey, R., "Internet Security Glossary, Version 2",
              FYI 36, RFC 4949, DOI 10.17487/RFC4949, August 2007,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc4949>.

Authors' Addresses

   Nina Bindel
   SandboxAQ
   Email: nina.bindel@sandboxaq.com


   Britta Hale
   Naval Postgraduate School
   Email: britta.hale@nps.edu


   Deirdre Connolly
   SandboxAQ
   Email: deirdre.connolly@sandboxaq.com


   Florence Driscoll
   UK National Cyber Security Centre
   Email: flo.d@ncsc.gov.uk









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