Cryptology ePrint Archive: Report 2005/192
On the security and the efficiency of the Merkle signature scheme
Carlos Coronado
Abstract: This paper builds on the multi-time signature scheme proposed by Merkle. We prove that the original scheme is existentially unforgeable under adaptive chosen message attack. Moreover, we present an improved version which has three advantages: It is provably forward secure. The number of signatures that can be made with one private key is --- in a practical sense --- unlimited. Finally, the cost for key generation is kept low.
The theoretical exposition is complemented by experimental data about the efficiency of the improved Merkle signature scheme.
Category / Keywords: public-key cryptography / Merkle Signature Scheme, Forward Security, Provable Security, Lamport-Diffie one-time Signature Scheme.
Date: received 23 Jun 2005
Contact author: coronado at cdc informatik tu-darmstadt de
Available format(s): Postscript (PS) | Compressed Postscript (PS.GZ) | PDF | BibTeX Citation
Version: 20050623:094202 (All versions of this report)
Short URL: ia.cr/2005/192
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