Implementation of an ECC Digital Signature Technique in Constrained Environments

Relevance . Ensuring secure cryptographic operations in resource-constrained environments presents challenges due to limited computational power and memory. With the rapid growth of Unmanned Vehicle Systems, the need for efficient and secure cryptographic solutions is increasing. Optimizing cryptographic algorithms for such systems becomes especially relevant given their limited computational resources and high security demands. The purpose of this study is to optimize Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) digital signature operations for resource-limited systems, particularly in unmanned vehicle systems. The research aims to enhance computational efficiency and reduce memory usage, making ECC-based security mechanisms more feasible for embedded applications. The novelty of this study lies in its integration of multiple optimization techniques. It improves scalar point multiplication by leveraging cyclic group properties, additive inverses, and an enhanced windowed multiplication method. Additionally, it introduces a deterministic nonce generation approach inspired by EdDSA to further refine digital signature efficiency. These innovations collectively contribute to a more efficient cryptographic process suitable for constrained environments. The theoretical significance lies in the development of a new mathematical apparatus that makes it possible to optimize electronic signature operations. The practical significance of this study is its applicability in low-power embedded systems, where computational and memory resources are highly limited. By optimizing ECC operations, this research enhances the security and performance of cryptographic implementations in unmanned vehicle systems and similar embedded applications, ensuring secure communications without exceeding hardware constraints. The proposed method was implemented on the Arduino Atmega 2560 R3, achieves up to a 54,1 % results are showing reduction in cycle count and a 72,6 % decrease in SRAM usage for key generation, alongside significant performance improvements in signing and verification processes. Experimental results confirm its effectiveness in optimizing ECC operations for constrained devices of unmanned vehicle systems.