PQBFL: A Post-Quantum Blockchain-based Protocol for Federated Learning

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: GHaravi, Hadi, Granjal, Jorge, Monteiro, Edmundo
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author GHaravi, Hadi
Granjal, Jorge
Monteiro, Edmundo
author_facet GHaravi, Hadi
Granjal, Jorge
Monteiro, Edmundo
contents One of the goals of Federated Learning (FL) is to collaboratively train a global model using local models from remote participants. However, the FL process is susceptible to various security challenges, including interception and tampering models, information leakage through shared gradients, and privacy breaches that expose participant identities or data, particularly in sensitive domains such as medical environments. Furthermore, the advent of quantum computing poses a critical threat to existing cryptographic protocols through the Shor and Grover algorithms, causing security concerns in the communication of FL systems. To address these challenges, we propose a Post-Quantum Blockchain-based protocol for Federated Learning (PQBFL) that utilizes post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms and blockchain to enhance model security and participant identity privacy in FL systems. It employs a hybrid communication strategy that combines off-chain and on-chain channels to optimize cost efficiency, improve security, and preserve participant privacy while ensuring accountability for reputation-based authentication in FL systems. The PQBFL specifically addresses the security requirement for the iterative nature of FL, which is a less notable point in the literature. Hence, it leverages ratcheting mechanisms to provide forward secrecy and post-compromise security during all the rounds of the learning process. In conclusion, PQBFL provides a secure and resilient solution for federated learning that is well-suited to the quantum computing era.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2502_14464
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle PQBFL: A Post-Quantum Blockchain-based Protocol for Federated Learning
GHaravi, Hadi
Granjal, Jorge
Monteiro, Edmundo
Cryptography and Security
One of the goals of Federated Learning (FL) is to collaboratively train a global model using local models from remote participants. However, the FL process is susceptible to various security challenges, including interception and tampering models, information leakage through shared gradients, and privacy breaches that expose participant identities or data, particularly in sensitive domains such as medical environments. Furthermore, the advent of quantum computing poses a critical threat to existing cryptographic protocols through the Shor and Grover algorithms, causing security concerns in the communication of FL systems. To address these challenges, we propose a Post-Quantum Blockchain-based protocol for Federated Learning (PQBFL) that utilizes post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms and blockchain to enhance model security and participant identity privacy in FL systems. It employs a hybrid communication strategy that combines off-chain and on-chain channels to optimize cost efficiency, improve security, and preserve participant privacy while ensuring accountability for reputation-based authentication in FL systems. The PQBFL specifically addresses the security requirement for the iterative nature of FL, which is a less notable point in the literature. Hence, it leverages ratcheting mechanisms to provide forward secrecy and post-compromise security during all the rounds of the learning process. In conclusion, PQBFL provides a secure and resilient solution for federated learning that is well-suited to the quantum computing era.
title PQBFL: A Post-Quantum Blockchain-based Protocol for Federated Learning
topic Cryptography and Security
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.14464