Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is becoming an essential part of embedded systems security. From securing long-life IoT devices to protecting government-grade secure communications, the need for cryptographic resilience against quantum threats is driving the adoption of new algorithms. However, implementation-level vulnerabilities remain one of the most significant risks. Even a mathematically secure PQC algorithm can leak secrets during real-world execution, especially in embedded systems with constrained resources.
www.keysight.com/us/en/home.html, Jul. 24, 2025 –
Keysight and NXP Semiconductors tackle security challenge
Addressing this challenge, Keysight recently collaborated with NXP® Semiconductors to support the development and evaluation of side-channel countermeasures for the Module Lattice-Digital Signature Algorithm (ML-DSA), one of the post-quantum digital signature schemes selected by NIST as part of its PQC standardization process. Leveraging its expertise in security testing, Keysight conducted targeted side-channel analysis on the ML-DSA signature generation process, assessing leakage across multiple protection levels. This included testing three configurations: one with no countermeasures, and two with progressively stronger sets of side-channel defenses. Through this collaboration, Keysight helped NXP validate the effectiveness of its countermeasures, ensuring that its ML-DSA implementation meets the demands of secure, quantum-resilient embedded systems.
NXP Semiconductors, a leading provider of semiconductor solutions across industrial and IoT, as well as automotive markets, has taken a proactive step by pioneering side-channel attack countermeasures for ML-DSA.
“Exploring the implementation security of PQC schemes and developing efficient countermeasures for physical attacks is part of our broader commitment to delivering long-term security in our embedded solutions,” said Joppe Bos, Technical Director, Cryptographer, NXP Semiconductors. “We chose to work with Keysight because of its advanced capabilities in side-channel and fault analysis, especially for emerging cryptographic standards. Keysight’s ability to support ML-DSA and other PQC algorithms made them the right partner for this project. This collaboration marks an important step toward setting a higher standard for post-quantum security in commercial products.”
For NXP, this evaluation reflects a proactive approach to securing embedded systems against future threats. For Keysight, it underscores the company’s role in helping technology leaders build confidence in next-generation cryptographic systems, by making real-world evaluation accessible and actionable.
“Keysight continues to advance the tools and methodologies needed to support effective PQC security testing,” said Durga Lakshmi Ramachandran, PQC Solution Lead at Keysight. “Our team works closely with developers to assess designs early in the development cycle, where optimizations and countermeasures can have a significant impact on security. Early evaluation helps reduce risk, rework, and development delays — laying the foundation for secure, optimized, and implementation-ready systems.”
Keysight is committed to advancing post-quantum cryptography (PQC) by supporting the evaluation of leading algorithms, including Kyber, Dilithium, and hash-based signature schemes such as LMS, XMSS, and SLH-DSA. Through Keysight’s Inspector platform, customers can gain support for ML-DSA, with pre-release capabilities available for ML-KEM and hash-based signatures. These capabilities allow engineers, solution architects, and certification labs to assess the robustness of hardware, software, and hybrid cryptographic implementations against side-channel leakage and fault injection vulnerabilities.
To learn more about Keysight’s PQC evaluation capabilities and the Inspector platform, visit this page or reach out to riscuresolutions@keysight.com.