When Security Meets Usability: An Empirical Investigation of Post-Quantum Cryptography APIs

This is a research paper (arxiv submission) presenting an empirical study rather than a deployable software project. Zero stars, forks, and velocity confirm no active adoption or community engagement. The work combines known PQC standards (NIST-standardized algorithms) with HCI/usability evaluation methodology—a meaningful combination for the PQC ecosystem but not a novel cryptographic or algorithmic breakthrough. As a paper-based survey/empirical study, it serves as a reference implementation and evaluation framework rather than a production-ready tool. Frontier labs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) have no direct incentive to replicate this empirical study, though they may integrate findings into their own PQC API design. The project is niche (academic security/HCI intersection), domain-specific (post-quantum standards), and solves a problem orthogonal to frontier lab core business. Low defensibility because the intellectual contribution is methodological evaluation rather than a unique tool or platform; any organization can conduct similar studies or implement PQC APIs independently. The work is valuable for standards bodies and enterprises migrating to PQC but does not establish a sustainable product or community.