Performance and Security Analysis of the Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange Protocol

The Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange Protocol (DHKE) is a fundamental element of modern cryptographic systems, enabling secure key exchange over unsecured channels. The present research work aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of DHKE, with a dual focus on performance and security. We examine the protocol’s robustness against classical and emerging threats, particularly in the context of the Discrete Logarithm Problem (DLP) and the advent of quantum computing. Performance is evaluated by measuring execution times for key lengths of 512 and 1024 bits, each recorded over 100 iterations. The results are analyzed to provide insights into both computational efficiency and variability, with graphical representations to illustrate the findings. The study underscores the balance between security and performance in DHKE and offers recommendations for future enhancements to maintain cryptographic resilience in the face of advancing computational capabilities.