An optimized elliptic curve digital signature strategy for resource-constrained devices

Abstract Ensuring robust security in resource-constrained environments, such as microcontrollers used in Unmanned Vehicle systems (UVS), poses significant challenges due to the computational and memory demands of cryptographic algorithms. This research addresses these challenges by proposing an opti...

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Main Authors: Nawras H. Sabbry, Alla Levina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05601-0
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author Nawras H. Sabbry
Alla Levina
author_facet Nawras H. Sabbry
Alla Levina
author_sort Nawras H. Sabbry
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Ensuring robust security in resource-constrained environments, such as microcontrollers used in Unmanned Vehicle systems (UVS), poses significant challenges due to the computational and memory demands of cryptographic algorithms. This research addresses these challenges by proposing an optimized ECC digital signature method designed for such environments. The method incorporates two key enhancements: optimizing scalar point multiplication using the cyclic group property of elliptic curve points and the additive inverse property in group theory, and secondly, adopting a deterministic private nonce generation approach, while excluding the public nonce ( $$R$$ ) from the calculation of the challenge to improve signing efficiency. The proposed method was implemented on an Arduino Atmega 2560 microcontroller, a representative resource-constrained platform, using low-level programming techniques. The results demonstrate significant improvements in computational efficiency and memory usage across all steps of the digital signature process (key generation, signing, and verification), while maintaining robust security standards. This work underscores the feasibility of deploying secure and efficient ECC-based digital signatures in constrained environments.
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spelling doaj-art-669f454ebc3f466ea495536bb10839d22025-08-20T03:03:37ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111010.1038/s41598-025-05601-0An optimized elliptic curve digital signature strategy for resource-constrained devicesNawras H. Sabbry0Alla Levina1Department of Computer Science and Technology, Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI”Department of Computer Science and Technology, Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI”Abstract Ensuring robust security in resource-constrained environments, such as microcontrollers used in Unmanned Vehicle systems (UVS), poses significant challenges due to the computational and memory demands of cryptographic algorithms. This research addresses these challenges by proposing an optimized ECC digital signature method designed for such environments. The method incorporates two key enhancements: optimizing scalar point multiplication using the cyclic group property of elliptic curve points and the additive inverse property in group theory, and secondly, adopting a deterministic private nonce generation approach, while excluding the public nonce ( $$R$$ ) from the calculation of the challenge to improve signing efficiency. The proposed method was implemented on an Arduino Atmega 2560 microcontroller, a representative resource-constrained platform, using low-level programming techniques. The results demonstrate significant improvements in computational efficiency and memory usage across all steps of the digital signature process (key generation, signing, and verification), while maintaining robust security standards. This work underscores the feasibility of deploying secure and efficient ECC-based digital signatures in constrained environments.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05601-0
spellingShingle Nawras H. Sabbry
Alla Levina
An optimized elliptic curve digital signature strategy for resource-constrained devices
Scientific Reports
title An optimized elliptic curve digital signature strategy for resource-constrained devices
title_full An optimized elliptic curve digital signature strategy for resource-constrained devices
title_fullStr An optimized elliptic curve digital signature strategy for resource-constrained devices
title_full_unstemmed An optimized elliptic curve digital signature strategy for resource-constrained devices
title_short An optimized elliptic curve digital signature strategy for resource-constrained devices
title_sort optimized elliptic curve digital signature strategy for resource constrained devices
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05601-0
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