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Applied Cryptography
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Applied Cryptography

A Special Issue of Journal of Cybersecurity and Privacy (ISSN 2624-800X) belonging to the section "Cryptography and Cryptology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2026) | Viewed by 7843

Editors

Dr. Yangguang Tian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Surrey Centre for Cyber Security, Department of Computer Science, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK
Interests: applied cryptography; network security; blockchain technologies; privacy-preserving technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Danda B. Rawat

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA
Interests: wireless networks; cyber security; cyber physical systems; Internet of Things; big data analytics; wireless virtualization; software-defined networks; smart grid systems security; vehicular/wireless ad-hoc networks
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cryptography is essential for establishing trust and ensuring security in the digital world. With the enormous amount of data produced daily, we must guarantee its security and privacy. Moreover, applied cryptography provides a collection of cryptographic primitives to ensure data security and privacy for real applications. This Special Issue aims to investigate new cryptographic primitives for data security and privacy and their applications.

We invite submissions for this Special Issue, focusing on cryptographic algorithms, technologies, and practices. Specifically, we are interested in research related to IoT security, quantum cryptography, and cryptographic protocols. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

Dr. Yangguang Tian
Prof. Dr. Danda B. Rawat
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Cybersecurity and Privacy is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cryptography and cryptanalysis
  • applied cryptography
  • cryptography for iot and blockchains
  • cryptography for secure computing
  • cryptography for data protection
  • privacy-preserving technologies

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

38 pages, 1294 KB  
Article
Homomorphic Encryption as an Enabler for Secure Multi-Source Data Aggregation and Confidential Analytics
by Cristina Regueiro, Julen Bernabé-Rodríguez, Iñaki Seco-Aguirre and Idoia Gamiz
J. Cybersecur. Priv. 2026, 6(4), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcp6040126 - 21 Jul 2026
Viewed by 796
Abstract
Homomorphic Encryption plays a key role in secure multi-source data aggregation because it enables computations to be performed directly over encrypted data, allowing distributed parties to contribute sensitive information while preserving confidentiality. However, its use in this context introduces three main challenges: existing [...] Read more.
Homomorphic Encryption plays a key role in secure multi-source data aggregation because it enables computations to be performed directly over encrypted data, allowing distributed parties to contribute sensitive information while preserving confidentiality. However, its use in this context introduces three main challenges: existing approaches often focus on specific operations rather than supporting diverse analytics across multiple encrypted data sources; key generation and management frequently rely on trusted third parties or require private keys to be shared; and TEE-based solutions may avoid trusted third parties but often require computations to be partially executed inside the trusted environment, thereby limiting deployment flexibility. To address these limitations, this work makes three main contributions: (i) the proposal of a complete framework for secure multi-source data aggregation that leverages homomorphic encryption and enables any data consumer to securely run multi-source data aggregations over data previously registered by untrusted data providers; (ii) the integration of secure enclaves for the secure generation, distribution, and management of homomorphic keys, addressing challenges related to coordinated key synchronization in multi-party aggregation environments and removing the need for a trusted third party; and (iii) the introduction of a hybrid key management protocol that combines secure enclave-based key generation with efficient key distribution and secure aggregation outside the enclave, in the data consumer, minimizing trust assumptions and computational overhead. The implementation and evaluation on small-scale aggregated datasets show that the proposed approach effectively addresses the identified challenges by providing, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the first practical and privacy-preserving solution that supports different algorithms without relying on any trusted third party, while improving over existing solutions through the integration of secure enclaves and a hybrid key management protocol. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Cryptography)
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22 pages, 2092 KB  
Article
A Software Platform for Benchmarking, Multi-Criteria Evaluation, and Integrity Validation of Symmetric Encryption Algorithms
by Diyan Dinev and Gergana Spasova
J. Cybersecur. Priv. 2026, 6(4), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcp6040106 - 25 Jun 2026
Viewed by 593
Abstract
The choice of a symmetric encryption algorithm in practice is rarely as straightforward as it may appear from theoretical comparisons alone. In addition to security considerations, real-world selection often depends on execution time, reliability, entropy-related behavior, resource efficiency, and suitability for different types [...] Read more.
The choice of a symmetric encryption algorithm in practice is rarely as straightforward as it may appear from theoretical comparisons alone. In addition to security considerations, real-world selection often depends on execution time, reliability, entropy-related behavior, resource efficiency, and suitability for different types of data. This paper presents an experimental software platform for benchmarking and multi-criteria recommendation of symmetric encryption algorithms. The platform combines automated encryption and decryption tests, metric collection, comparative analysis, and result visualization within a unified evaluation workflow. It also incorporates a multi-criteria model that transforms raw experimental measurements into an overall ranking and supports context-aware recommendation according to the requirements of a given usage scenario. The experimental study includes repeated tests on different input categories in order to examine algorithm behavior under varied operating conditions. The obtained results show that algorithm performance and overall suitability are strongly dependent on the evaluation perspective and the application context, which suggests that no single symmetric method should be regarded as universally optimal. The proposed platform offers a practical basis for comparative cryptographic analysis and may be useful both for research purposes and for informed decision-making in security-oriented software environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Cryptography)
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29 pages, 10292 KB  
Article
Spectral & Memory Trade-Offs in Multiplexed Fourier Domain Chaotic Image Encryption
by Javier Alberto Vargas Valencia, Luis Fernando Duque Gómez, Carlos Alberto Marín Arango, Mauricio A. Londoño-Arboleda and Hernán David Salinas Jiménez
J. Cybersecur. Priv. 2026, 6(3), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcp6030095 - 29 May 2026
Viewed by 727
Abstract
This work presents a Fourier-domain encryption scheme for multiplexed image databases that integrates virtual-optical multiplexing with chaotic diffusion. By combining chaotic encryption with spectral-domain symmetry reduction, the proposed approach secures large multiplexed image datasets while reducing memory requirements and preserving reconstruction fidelity. A [...] Read more.
This work presents a Fourier-domain encryption scheme for multiplexed image databases that integrates virtual-optical multiplexing with chaotic diffusion. By combining chaotic encryption with spectral-domain symmetry reduction, the proposed approach secures large multiplexed image datasets while reducing memory requirements and preserving reconstruction fidelity. A dataset of 2025 grayscale images (512×512 pixels) is multiplexed and encrypted using linear chaotic transformations applied separately to the amplitude (A) and phase (ϕ) components. To improve storage efficiency, the symmetry conditions of both spectral components are exploited, allowing a reduced portion of the Fourier plane to be stored while preserving accurate reconstruction. A performance landscape relating the correlation coefficient (CC), memory consumption, and the retained Fourier-plane percentage (FPP) is constructed to identify stable operating regions that balance reconstruction fidelity and compression under increasing multiplexing load. The encryption key consists of a 22-symbol ASCII string from which 84 seed parameters for a deterministic pseudorandom chaotic map are derived. Security and sensitivity analyses demonstrate strong key dependence and resistance to statistical attacks, while maintaining high reconstruction fidelity. The proposed scheme provides an efficient and scalable solution for secure large-scale image repositories. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Cryptography)
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43 pages, 752 KB  
Article
Recursive Augmented Fernet (RAF) Token: Alleviating the Pain of Stolen Tokens
by Reza Rahaeimehr and Marten van Dijk
J. Cybersecur. Priv. 2026, 6(3), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcp6030088 - 13 May 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 502
Abstract
A robust authentication and authorization mechanism is imperative in modular system development, where modularity and modular thinking are pivotal. Traditional systems often employ identity modules responsible for authentication and token issuance. Tokens, representing user credentials, offer advantages such as reduced reliance on passwords, [...] Read more.
A robust authentication and authorization mechanism is imperative in modular system development, where modularity and modular thinking are pivotal. Traditional systems often employ identity modules responsible for authentication and token issuance. Tokens, representing user credentials, offer advantages such as reduced reliance on passwords, limited lifespan, and scoped access. Despite these benefits, the “bearer token” problem persists, leaving systems vulnerable to abuse if tokens are compromised. We propose a token-based authentication mechanism addressing the critical bearer token problem in modular systems. The proposed mechanism includes a novel RAF (Recursive Augmented Fernet) token, a blacklist component, and a policy enforcer component. RAF tokens are one-time-use tokens, like tickets. They carry commands, and the receiver of an RAF token can issue new tokens using the received RAF token. The blacklist component guarantees an RAF token cannot be validated more than once, and the policy enforcer checks the compatibility of commands carried by an RAF token. We introduce two variations of RAF tokens: user-tied RAF, offering simplicity and compatibility, and fully-tied RAF, providing enhanced security through service-specific secret keys. We thoroughly discuss the security guarantees, technical definitions, and construction of RAF tokens backed by game-based proofs. We demonstrate a proof of concept in the context of OpenStack, involving modifications to Keystone and the creation of an RAFT library. The experimental results reveal minimal overhead in typical scenarios, establishing the practicality and effectiveness of RAF. Our experiments show that the RAF mechanism outperforms the use of short-life Fernet tokens while providing much better security. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Cryptography)
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43 pages, 2473 KB  
Article
A Lightweight Post-Quantum Anonymous Attestation Framework for Traceable and Comprehensive Privacy Preservation in VANETs
by Esti Rahmawati Agustina, Kalamullah Ramli, Ruki Harwahyu, Teddy Surya Gunawan, Muhammad Salman, Andriani Adi Lestari and Arif Rahman Hakim
J. Cybersecur. Priv. 2026, 6(2), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcp6020044 - 2 Mar 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1890
Abstract
Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) require authentication systems that balance privacy, scalability, and post-quantum security. While lattice-based V-LDAA offers quantum resistance, it faces challenges in signature size, traceability, and integration. We propose post-quantum traceable direct anonymous attestation (PQ-TDAA), combining National Institute of Standards [...] Read more.
Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) require authentication systems that balance privacy, scalability, and post-quantum security. While lattice-based V-LDAA offers quantum resistance, it faces challenges in signature size, traceability, and integration. We propose post-quantum traceable direct anonymous attestation (PQ-TDAA), combining National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-standard Dilithium2 and Falcon-512 signatures with adapted Beullens-style blind signatures and Fiat–Shamir simplified Schnorr proofs, reducing proof size by 69.2% (8 kB vs. V-LDAA’s 26 kB) and supporting European Telecommunications Standards Institute Technical Specification (ETSI TS) 102 941-compliant traceability through Road Side Unit (RSU)-assisted verification. Evaluated using SageMath, Python 3.11, and NS-3, PQ-TDAA-Falcon-512 achieves 8.1 ms and 49.7 ms end-to-end delays at 10 and 20 vehicles, respectively, with 64.7 Mbps goodput on congested 802.11p channels, showing promise for densities of ≤50 vehicles and advantages over Dilithium2. Real-world validation on ARM Cortex-A76 (Raspberry Pi 5, emulating automotive OBUs) yields sub-0.5 ms V2V cycles within 100 ms beacon intervals, supporting practical embedded deployment. Future work will extend PQ-TDAA to emerging 5G and NR-V2X settings, integrate more realistic mobility and channel models through coupled NS-3 and SUMO co-simulation, and investigate side-channel resistance for enhanced scalability and robustness in real deployments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Cryptography)
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27 pages, 1146 KB  
Article
Attacking Tropical Stickel Protocol by MILP and Heuristic Optimization Techniques
by Sulaiman Alhussaini and Sergeĭ Sergeev
J. Cybersecur. Priv. 2025, 5(4), 82; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcp5040082 - 3 Oct 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1803
Abstract
Known attacks on the tropical implementation of Stickel protocol involve finding minimal covers for a certain covering problem, and this leads to an exponential growth in the worst case time required to recover the secret key as the used polynomial degree increases. The [...] Read more.
Known attacks on the tropical implementation of Stickel protocol involve finding minimal covers for a certain covering problem, and this leads to an exponential growth in the worst case time required to recover the secret key as the used polynomial degree increases. The computational inefficiency of this attack is also observed in practice, unless the number of explored covers is limited, on the expense of the success rate of the attack. Consequently, it can be argued that Alice and Bob can still repel these attacks on tropical Stickel protocol by utilizing very high polynomial degrees, a feasible approach due to the efficiency of tropical operations. The same is true for the implementation of Stickel protocol over some other semirings with idempotent addition (such as the max–min or digital semiring). In this paper, we propose alternative methods to attack the Stickel protocols that avoid solving the covering problem. These methods involve framing the attacks as a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) problem or applying certain heuristic global optimization techniques. We also include a number of numerical experiments to analyze the success rate and the time required to execute the suggested attacks in practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Cryptography)
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