Feedback about the NIST Threshold Call/Process

Abstract. The brief session 1b within MPTS 2023 (NIST Workshop for Multi-Party Threshold Schemes 2023) allows for additional oral comments about the NIST Threshold Call/Process. The number of allowed interventions will be limited to the available time slot. Each intervention should not exceed 3 minutes.

List of interventions (time in the edited session video: main commenter: informal description of topic):

• 00:00: Luís Brandão: Introducing the feedback session.
• 00:50: Thomas Prest: Number of queries to define security.
• 05:10: Jonathan Katz: Submissions with various parts versus multiple submissions.
• 07:00: Luís Brandão: Motivate conversation on networking.
• 07:34: Aniket Kate (AK): On networking assumptions and gadgets.
• 09:48: Nigel Smart: On too many options to implement.
• 12:39: Jonathan Katz: Communication model (broadcast; point-to-point).
• 17:15: Aniket Kate: On (in)comparability of efficiency between various options.
• 19:06: Samuel Ranellucci: How much rigor to strive for in a specification.
• 21:08: Rene Peralta: On evaluation of security arguments / community consensus.
• 21:34: Luís Brandão: Wrapping up the feedback session.

During the session, a slide was shown with several suggested topics:

1. Scope of the Threshold Call: refinements to the description of subcategories.
2. Submission requirements in the Threshold Call: needed clarifications.
3. Expressions of interest: intended concrete submissions (and possible submitter team).
4. Need and adoptability: special features and primitives useful for specific applications.
5. Inspiration: suggestions to the community, for submission of concrete threshold schemes.
6. Frameworks: pertinent system models, security formulations, and threshold parameters.
7. Pre/post quantum: concrete pre-quantum versus post-quantum cases worth focusing on.
8. Technicalities: challenges about concrete primitives / threshold schemes / assumptions.
9. External efforts: other processes developing related reference material or specifications.

[Video]