Quantum implementation of SHA1 and MD5 and comparison with classical algorithms

Abstract

The foundation of this research is the quantum implementation of two hashing algorithms, namely Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA1) and Message Digest (MD5). Quantum cryptography is a challenging topic in network security for future networks. Quantum cryptography is an outgrowth of two broad topics—cryptology and cryptanalysis. In this paper, SHA1 and MD5 algorithms are designed and implemented for quantum computers. The main aim is to study and investigate the time requirement to build a hash and the bit rate at which a hash value is sent through. In this paper, a comprehensive analysis of these two algorithms is performed. Experiments have been done to compare and contrast the performances of the classical and proposed algorithms. In the experiment, it was found that the total time of execution of quantum SHA1 and quantum MD5 is much higher than the classical SHA1 and MD5. During quantum MD5 execution, it is observed that the time doubles when the number of chunks is increased from 1 to 2. Another experimental observation is that the execution time of the implemented algorithms depends upon the processor’s speed.