Error Samplers for Lattice-Based Cryptography -Challenges, Vulnerabilities and Solutions

Lattice based cryptography (LBC) stands out today as one of the most promising types of post-quantum cryptography, and a strong contender in the ongoing NIST post-quantum cryptography standardisation process. LBC algorithms are advantageous due to their efficiency, versatility and the hardness of their underlying lattice problems. In this work, the practicality of LBC is explored by surveying one of the critical components, the error samplers, and highlighting the challenges associated with their efficient, secure implementation. Side channel attack (SCA) vulnerabilities and associated countermeasures are considered, concluding with error sampler recommendations, to aid the practicality, security and future widespread deployment of LBC.