Quantum Pose is a research-oriented framework for simulating quantum-based cryptographic attacks and evaluating post-quantum defensive primitives. It provides executable circuit implementations of key quantum algorithms alongside a metrics layer for empirically comparing classical versus quantum computational complexity on real cryptographic problem instances.
RSA and ECC derive their security from the computational hardness of integer factorization and the discrete logarithm problem — both of which admit polynomial-time quantum solutions. As fault-tolerant quantum hardware approaches viability, the security margins of these schemes erode. Quantum Pose operationalizes this threat by running controlled simulations against reduced-parameter cryptographic instances, making the attack surface concrete and measurable.
| Module | Description |
|---|---|
| Quantum Engine | Circuit-level implementations of Shor's algorithm (order-finding via QFT + modular exponentiation), Grover's search (amplitude amplification with oracle injection), and standalone QFT benchmarks. Configurable qubit counts and noise models via Qiskit or Cirq. |
| Attack Simulator | Executes factorization and search attacks against small key instances (e.g. 8–16-bit RSA). Outputs asymptotic complexity comparisons: O(n³) classical vs. O((log N)³) quantum for Shor's; O(√N) Grover speedup over O(N) brute force. |
| State Visualizer | Renders amplitude probability distributions across the computational basis at each circuit layer — exposing interference patterns, phase kickback, and measurement collapse in real time. |
| Metrics Dashboard | Captures gate depth, T-count, circuit width, shot-averaged success probability, and simulated wall-clock time per run. Supports side-by-side regime comparison across problem sizes. |
Alongside the attack surface, Quantum Pose simulates NIST PQC candidate schemes:
- Lattice-based (CRYSTALS-Kyber / NTRU) — hardness derived from Learning With Errors (LWE); resistant to Shor's
- Hash-based signatures (SPHINCS+) — stateless; security relies solely on hash function collision resistance
- Code-based (Classic McEliece) — hardness from syndrome decoding of random linear codes
Each scheme is benchmarked for key generation time, encapsulation/decapsulation latency, and ciphertext size relative to classical RSA/ECC at equivalent security levels.
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Quantum Runtime | Qiskit (Aer simulator) or Cirq + qsim |
| Numerical Backend | NumPy, SciPy |
| Visualization | Matplotlib, Plotly |
| Frontend | Streamlit or Dash |
| Optional | TensorFlow Quantum for ML-based anomaly detection on quantum state fingerprints |
All simulations run on classical hardware via statevector or density-matrix simulation. Key sizes are intentionally limited (≤ 20 qubits) due to the O(2ⁿ) memory overhead of classical statevector simulation. Quantum Pose is designed as an educational and analytical tool — not a production cryptanalysis engine.