Can the SHA-3 Algorithm be used for the Construction of Efficient and Robust Hardware Cryptographic Random Number Generators?

This work explores and presents the implementation of hardware-based Cryptographically Secure Pseudo-Random Number Generators (CSPRNGs) utilizing the SHA-3 algorithm. Cryptographic applications demand a high level of entropy and unpredictability, so choosing a reliable CSPRNG is crucial for ensuring secure communication and data protection. The SHA-3 algorithm, endorsed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for cryptographic use, can serve as a suitable deterministic function for constructing a hardware-based CSPRNG due to its strong security properties and resistance to various attacks. However, the literature lacks documentation of this kind of implementation, mainly concentrating on the development of CSPRNGs based on the SHA2 algorithm. In particular, hardware SHA-3 modules are expected to outperform the SHA2 counterparts while offering the same security strength. This work aims to fill this gap, by presenting the hardware implementation of a SHA-3-based CSPRNG and a detailed comparison with SHA2-based solutions. The reported results show that SHA-3-based solutions can offer significant advantages in terms of performance, energy consumption, and area/resource utilization, with an equal security level. Hence, this work can be used as a reference point to determine which hash algorithm can be more indicated for the construction of robust CSPRNGs according to the application requirements. Moreover, this paper constitutes one of the very few works in the literature that document the implementation of a hardware CSPRNG on an extremely scaled standard-cell technology at 7 nanometers.