Insight into the operation of NTRU and a comparative study of NTRU, RSA and ECC public key cryptosystems

Information is a fundamental part of the world today and with it has come the need for information security during communication over public channels so as to safeguard communication. There are various public key algorithms being implemented today, the most popular being RSA and ECC. Given the trend towards quantum computing systems, there is need to provide assurance of information security in the post-quantum period. Due to the susceptibility of ECC and RSA to quantum algorithm attacks, NTRU is the leading alternative. This paper provides a clear description of the operation of the NTRU public key cryptosystem, the constraints for the selection of its parameters, its security followed by a practical illustration of its operation. This paper also highlights the strengths and weaknesses of NTRU followed by a comparative study of the performance of NTRU, RSA and ECC. Finally, we give a conclusion of potential areas for further research so as to provide assurance of security pertaining to NTRU.