PHYSICAL UNCLONABLE FUNCTIONS (PUFS) IN KEYLESS CRYPTOGRAPHY: ANALYZE THE FEASIBILITY AND SECURITY OF USING PUFS TO GENERATE CRYPTOGRAPHIC KEYS WITHOUT RELYING ON STORED SECRETS
Keywords:
Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs), Keyless Cryptography, Quantum Key Distribution(QKD), Hardware Security, Cryptographic Key Generation, Post-Quantum Security, Machine Learning Attacks, PUF Reliability.Abstract
Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) provide a unique and hardware-based approach for generating cryptographic keys from the inherent physical variations of electronic devices without requiring permanent key storage. This study evaluates and comparatively analyzes several widely used PUF structures, including SRAM PUFs, Ring Oscillator PUFs, and Arbiter PUFs, with particular emphasis on their reliability, uniqueness, randomness, and resistance to security threats. Mathematical modeling, simulation experiments, and prototype implementations were employed to investigate the effectiveness of PUF-based key generation under different operating conditions and against various attacks, including modeling, cloning, and mathematical attacks. The study further examines the role of error correction and reliability-enhancement techniques in improving the consistency of generated responses and reducing the effects of environmental and device-related variations. The findings indicate that selected PUF architectures, when combined with appropriate error correction and response-processing mechanisms, can generate reliable, unpredictable, and security-oriented cryptographic keys while reducing the risks associated with conventional key storage and management. The results also demonstrate that PUF-based key generation can strengthen hardware security by exploiting device-specific physical characteristics that are difficult to reproduce. Overall, this research highlights the potential of PUF technology as an important foundation for keyless cryptographic systems and secure hardware authentication, particularly for resource-constrained and emerging connected devices. Furthermore, the study discusses the relevance of PUF-based approaches for future secure systems in the post-quantum era, where efficient and hardware-rooted security mechanisms are increasingly required.
