A Framework for Efficient Adaptively Secure Composable Oblivious Transfer in the ROM

Oblivious Transfer (OT) is a fundamental cryptographic protocol that finds a number of applications, in particular, as an essential building block for two-party and multi-party computation. We construct a round-optimal (2 rounds) universally composable (UC) protocol for oblivious transfer secure against active adaptive adversaries from any OW-CPA secure public-key encryption scheme with certain properties in the random oracle model (ROM). In terms of computation, our protocol only requires the generation of a public/secret-key pair, two encryption operations and one decryption operation, apart from a few calls to the random oracle. In~terms of communication, our protocol only requires the transfer of one public-key, two ciphertexts, and three binary strings of roughly the same size as the message. Next, we show how to instantiate our construction under the low noise LPN, McEliece, QC-MDPC, LWE, and CDH assumptions. Our instantiations based on the low noise LPN, McEliece, and QC-MDPC assumptions are the first UC-secure OT protocols based on coding assumptions to achieve: 1) adaptive security, 2) optimal round complexity, 3) low communication and computational complexities. Previous results in this setting only achieved static security and used costly cut-and-choose techniques.Our instantiation based on CDH achieves adaptive security at the small cost of communicating only two more group elements as compared to the gap-DH based Simplest OT protocol of Chou and Orlandi (Latincrypt 15), which only achieves static security in the ROM

Evaluation of Code-based Signature Schemes

Code-based cryptographic schemes recently raised to prominence as quantum-safe alternatives to the currently employed number-theoretic constructions, which do not resist quantum attacks. In this article, we discuss the Courtois-Finiasz-Sendrier signature scheme and derive code-based signature schemes using the Fiat-Shamir transformation from code-based zero-knowledge identification schemes, namely the Stern scheme, the Jain-Krenn-Pietrzak-Tentes scheme, and the Cayrel-Veron-El Yousfi scheme. We analyze the security of these code-based signature schemes and derive the security parameters to achieve the 80-bit and 128-bit level of classical security. To derive the secure parameters, we have studied the hardness of Syndrome Decoding Problem. Furthermore, we implement the signature schemes, based on the Fiat-Shamir transform, which were mentioned above, and compare their performance on a PC

An Efficient tt-Cheater Identifiable Secret Sharing Scheme with Optimal Cheater Resiliency

In this paper, we present an efficient $k$-out-of-$n$ secret sharing scheme, which can identify up to $t$ rushing cheaters, with probability at least $1 - \epsilon$, where $0<\epsilon<1/2$, provided $t < k/2$. This is the optimal number of cheaters that can be tolerated in the setting of public cheater identification, on which we focus in this work. In our scheme, the set of all possible shares $V_i$ satisfies the condition that $|V_i|= \frac{(t+1)^{2n+k-3}|S|}{\epsilon^{2n+k-3}}$, where $S$ denotes the set of all possible secrets. In PODC-2012, Ashish Choudhury came up with an efficient $t$-cheater identifiable $k$-out-of-$n$ secret sharing scheme, which was a solution of an open problem proposed by Satoshi Obana in EUROCRYPT-2011. The share size, with respect to a secret consisting of one field element, of Choudhury\u27s proposal in PODC-2012 is $|V_i|=\frac{(t+1)^{3n}|S|}{\epsilon^{3n}}$. Therefore, our scheme presents an improvement in share size over the above construction. Hence, to the best of our knowledge, our proposal currently has the minimal share size among existing efficient schemes with optimal cheater resilience, in the case of a single secret

Efficient Threshold Secret Sharing Schemes Secure against Rushing Cheaters

In this paper, we consider three very important issues namely detection, identification and robustness of $k$-out-of-$n$ secret sharing schemes against rushing cheaters who are allowed to submit (possibly forged) shares {\em after} observing shares of the honest users in the reconstruction phase. Towards this we present five different schemes. Among these, first we present two $k$-out-of-$n$ secret sharing schemes, the first one being capable of detecting $(k-1)/3$ cheaters such that $|V_i|=|S|/\epsilon^3$ and the second one being capable of detecting $n-1$ cheaters such that $|V_i|=|S|/\epsilon^{k+1}$, where $S$ denotes the set of all possible secrets, $\epsilon$ denotes the successful cheating probability of cheaters and $V_i$ denotes set all possible shares. Next we present two $k$-out-of-$n$ secret sharing schemes, the first one being capable of identifying $(k-1)/3$ rushing cheaters with share size $|V_i|$ that satisfies $|V_i|=|S|/\epsilon^k$. This is the first scheme whose size of shares does not grow linearly with $n$ but only with $k$, where $n$ is the number of participants. For the second one, in the setting of public cheater identification, we present an efficient optimal cheater resilient $k$-out-of-$n$ secret sharing scheme against rushing cheaters having the share size $|V_i|= (n-t)^{n+2t}|S|/\epsilon^{n+2t}$. The proposed scheme achieves {\em flexibility} in the sense that the security level (i.e. the cheater(s) success probability) is independent of the secret size. Finally, we design an efficient $(k, \delta)$ robust secret sharing secure against rushing adversary with optimal cheater resiliency. Each of the five proposed schemes has the smallest share size having the mentioned properties among the existing schemes in the respective fields

Structure- and interaction-based design of anti-SARS-CoV-2 aptamers

Aptamer selection against novel infections is a complicated and time-consuming approach. Synergy can be achieved by using computational methods together with experimental procedures. This study aims to develop a reliable methodology for a rational aptamer in silico et vitro design. The new approach combines multiple steps: (1) Molecular design, based on screening in a DNA aptamer library and directed mutagenesis to fit the protein tertiary structure; (2) 3D molecular modeling of the target; (3) Molecular docking of an aptamer with the protein; (4) Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the complexes; (5) Quantum-mechanical (QM) evaluation of the interactions between aptamer and target with further analysis; (6) Experimental verification at each cycle for structure and binding affinity by using small-angle X-ray scattering, cytometry, and fluorescence polarization. By using a new iterative design procedure, structure- and interaction-based drug design (SIBDD), a highly specific aptamer to the receptorbinding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, was developed and validated. The SIBDD approach enhances speed of the high-affinity aptamers development from scratch, using a target protein structure. The method could be used to improve existing aptamers for stronger binding. This approach brings to an advanced level the development of novel affinity probes, functional nucleic acids. It offers a blueprint for the straightforward design of targeting molecules for new pathogen agents and emerging variant

Computational Oblivious Transfer and Interactive Hashing

We use interactive hashing to achieve the most efficient OT protocol to date based solely on the assumption that trapdoor permutations (TDP) exist. Our protocol can be seen as the following (simple) modification of either of the two famous OT constructions: 1) In the one by Even et al (1985), a receiver must send a random domain element to a sender through IH; 2) In the one by Ostrovsky et al (1993), the players should use TDP instead of one-way permutation. A similar approach is employed to achieve oblivious transfer based on the security of the McEliece cryptosystem. In this second protocol, the receiver inputs a public key into IH, while privately keeping the corresponding secret key. Two different versions of IH are used: the computationally secure one in the first protocol, and the informationtheoretically secure one in the second

K.: Generalized oblivious transfer protocols based on noisy channels

Abstract. The main cryptographic primitives (Bit Commitment (BC) and Oblivious Transfer (OT) protocols) based on noisy channels have been considered in [1] for asymptotic case. Non-asymptotic behavior of BC protocol has been demonstrated in [2]. The current paper provides stricter asymptotic conditions on Binary Symmetric Channel (BSC) to be feasible OT protocol proposed in [1]. We also generalize this protocol using different encoding and decoding methods that require to regain formulas for Renyi entropy. Nonasymptotic case (finite length of blocks transmitted between parties) is also presented. Some examples are given to demonstrate that these protocols are in fact reliable and information-theoretically secure. We also discuss the problem – how to extend ( 2)-OT protocol to ( L)-OT protocol and how to arrange BSC 1 1 connecting parties. Both BC and OT protocols can be used as components of more complex and more important for practice protocols like “Digital cash”, “Secure election ” or “Distance bounding”.