Peter Schwabe

Peter Schwabe is a scientific director at the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy (MPI-SP) in Bochum, Germany, and a part-time professor for cryptographic engineering in the Digital Security Group at Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. He has held these positions while leading significant research initiatives in post-quantum cryptography and high-assurance cryptographic implementations.

His research interests center on post-quantum cryptography, cryptographic engineering, and high-assurance crypto software. Schwabe's work focuses on developing and verifying cryptographic implementations that are resistant to side-channel attacks while maintaining high performance. He has made significant contributions to lattice-based cryptography, hash-based signatures, and the standardization of post-quantum cryptographic algorithms. His research bridges theoretical cryptography with practical implementation concerns, particularly for resource-constrained environments.

Analysis of Schwabe's recent publications reveals a strong focus on post-quantum cryptography standardization, formal verification of cryptographic implementations, and protection against side-channel attacks. His work spans theoretical advances in cryptographic primitives, practical implementations for real-world systems, and tools for verifying the security properties of cryptographic code. A significant portion of his recent work relates to the CRYSTALS-Kyber standard selected by NIST, including formal verification of its security properties and implementation correctness.

Schwabe has served as an elected member of the IACR Board of Directors, member of the IACR CHES Steering Committee, and member of the IACR RWC Steering Committee. He is also a member of the advisory boards of Bitmark Inc., PQShield, Neutrality, and SciEngines, demonstrating his influence in both academic and industry cryptographic communities.

As an advisor, Schwabe has supervised numerous Ph.D. students working on various aspects of cryptography, including post-quantum cryptography, side-channel resistance, and formal verification of cryptographic implementations. His work on the EPOQUE project (Engineering post-quantum cryptography), funded by an ERC Starting grant from October 2018 to December 2023, demonstrates his leadership in advancing post-quantum cryptographic research.

Schwabe leads research efforts at the intersection of formal methods and practical cryptography, with a particular emphasis on creating high-assurance cryptographic implementations that can withstand both theoretical and practical attacks. His work often involves collaboration with international teams across academia and industry to advance the state of the art in cryptographic engineering.