Strong Identification Based on a Hard-on-Average Problem

Abstract

The aim of this work is to investigate the possibility of designing zero-knowledge identification schemes based on hard-on-average problems. It includes a new two-party identification protocol whose security relies on a discrete mathematics problem classified as DistNP-Complete under the average-case analysis, the so-called Distributional Matrix Representability Problem. Thanks to the use of the search version of the mentioned problem, the zero-knowledge property is formally proved by black-box simulation, and consequently the security of the proposed scheme is actually guaranteed. Furthermore, with the proposal of a new zero-knowledge proof based on a problem never used before for this purpose, the set of tools for designing cryptographic applications is enlarged.