To address Internet and E-Commerce security requirements, businesses deploy advanced network protocols and Web Services security standards to ensure transaction privacy, data integrity and information confidentiality.
The Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) that utilizes the X.509 protocol has been a widely adopted security mechanism to meet today's Internet and E-Commerce security requirements. Unfortunately, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is limited by key transmission security concerns between senders and receivers. Eavesdroppers who are equipped with advanced computer resources are capable of breaching Internet and Web Services security via man-in-the-middle attacks. We propose using Quantum Key Distribution to answer the key transmission concerns. Based on the laws of nature (Quantum Physics), Quantum Cryptography promises to be an unbreakable, eavesdropping-proof security measure.
Utilizing the Internet as the process backend, the on-demand, service-oriented business model is the key to transforming modern businesses to meet challenges in the new millennium. Grid computing is one way to address the requirements for the on-demand, service-oriented business model. Grid systems create a dynamic Virtual Organization (VO) that combines groups of various computer resources and services over the Internet and aggregates these computer resources and services for common purposes.
This dissertation first analyzes vulnerabilities of network security protocols and Web Services security standards, which Grid computing embraces as part of its security offerings. Based on the understanding of the vulnerabilities we surveyed, we suggest building a transitive trust architecture for X.509 certificates to ensure proper authentication and authorization and then we propose combining classical Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for heavy message traffic with point-to-point Quantum Key Distribution for distributing the private keys between Grid service providers and Grid service requesters. We conclude with a proposal for and a feasibility analysis of enhancing Grid security requirements using Quantum Key Distribution.
To address Internet and E-Commerce security requirements, businesses deploy advanced network protocols and Web Services security standards to ensure transaction privacy, data integrity and information confidentiality.
The Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) that utilizes the X.509 protocol has been a widely adopted security mechanism to meet today's Internet and E-Commerce security requirements. Unfortunately, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is limited by key transmission security concerns between senders and receivers. Eavesdroppers who are equipped with advanced computer resources are capable of breaching Internet and Web Services security via man-in-the-middle attacks. We propose using Quantum Key Distribution to answer the key transmission concerns. Based on the laws of nature (Quantum Physics), Quantum Cryptography promises to be an unbreakable, eavesdropping-proof security measure.
Utilizing the Internet as the process backend, the on-demand, service-oriented business model is the key to transforming modern businesses to meet challenges in the new millennium. Grid computing is one way to address the requirements for the on-demand, service-oriented business model. Grid systems create a dynamic Virtual Organization (VO) that combines groups of various computer resources and services over the Internet and aggregates these computer resources and services for common purposes.
This dissertation first analyzes vulnerabilities of network security protocols and Web Services security standards, which Grid computing embraces as part of its security offerings. Based on the understanding of the vulnerabilities we surveyed, we suggest building a transitive trust architecture for X.509 certificates to ensure proper authentication and authorization and then we propose combining classical Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for heavy message traffic with point-to-point Quantum Key Distribution for distributing the private keys between Grid service providers and Grid service requesters. We conclude with a proposal for and a feasibility analysis of enhancing Grid security requirements using Quantum Key Distribution.
Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability are basic goals of security architecture. To ensure CIA, many authentication scheme has been introduced in several years. Currently deployment of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a most significant solution. PKI involving exchange key using certificates via a public channel to a authenticate users in the cloud infrastructure. It is exposed to widespread security threats such as eavesdropping, the man in the middle attack, masquerade et al. Quantum cryptography is of the most prominent fields in the modern world of information security. Quantum cryptography is considered to be a future replica of classical cryptography along with a vital stance to break existing classical cryptography. This paper aims to look into basic security architecture in place currently and further it tries to introduce a new proposed security architecture for cloud computing environment, which makes use of the knowledge of Quantum Mechanics and current advances in research in Quantum Computing, to provide a more secure architecture.
The exponential growth of cloud computing and hybrid enterprise IT infrastructures has significantly transformed how organizations store, process, and transmit data. As reliance on distributed systems deepens, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive information has become a paramount concern especially in the face of emerging quantum computing capabilities. Quantum computers, once fully realized, will render many current public-key cryptographic systems such as RSA, ECC, and DH obsolete due to their vulnerability to quantum algorithms like Shor’s and Grover’s. This looming threat demands a paradigm shift toward quantum-resistant cryptographic protocols that can safeguard digital assets across dynamic and heterogeneous environments. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of quantum-resistant cryptographic schemes, focusing on lattice-based, hash-based, multivariate polynomial, and code-based approaches. These protocols are critically evaluated in terms of computational efficiency, scalability, resistance to side-channel attacks, and adaptability to multi-tenant cloud architectures. Special emphasis is placed on their integration into hybrid enterprise IT ecosystems, which often comprise on-premises servers, private clouds, and public cloud services each with unique security and compliance requirements. Additionally, the research proposes a layered security model that leverages post-quantum encryption for data-at-rest, hybrid key exchange mechanisms for secure data-in-transit, and secure bootstrapping protocols for cross-domain identity verification. Through simulations and policy analysis, this work demonstrates how quantum-resilient cryptography can be effectively deployed without compromising system performance or interoperability. Ultimately, the findings aim to guide enterprises, cloud providers, and cybersecurity professionals in building forward-compatible, future-proof data protection strategies.
The development of an efficient quantum computer with enough qubits will benefit humanity, but it will also pose a threat to most public cryptography. Even information secured by public cryptography primitives before the advent of this quantum computer falls under this threat since large quantities of data can be eavesdropped and stored by a malicious actor in hopes of someday having access to a quantum computer that will enable the compromising of the data. PQC and QKD are the main answers to this threat. Even though PQC algorithms aim to transition the existing PKI to be quantum-safe, they still offer the same security guarantees as today’s algorithms offer under a classical setting but rely on a new set of mathematical problems believed not to be vulnerable to a quantum computer. PQC is considered by many to be the main solution for most use cases because its integration carries little to no monetary costs, it calls for no major infrastructure updates, and it can be applied to all applications of public cryptography such as key exchanges and digital signatures. On the other hand, QKD leverages the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics to securely distribute cryptographic keys between remote parties. This solution offers information theoretical security and enables perfect forward secrecy, but it demands the development of a whole new type of network, a QKDN, to normalize the generation, distribution, and usage of quantumgenerated symmetric and oblivious keys. This dissertation presents the approach, implementation, and discussion of two quantum-enabled hybrid services, one applied for secure communications, and the other for secure computations. While the main focus was on the integration of quantum-generated keys into these services, PQC, and classical cryptography were also leveraged as recommended by EU’s commission. Regarding secure communications, a key rotator was developed showing how an existing highly deployed VPN solution can be quantum-enabled in a non-intrusive manner with zero downtime and no performance impact. Regarding secure computations, it was explored how quantum-generated oblivious keys can be leveraged in existing OT-based SMC protocols, integrating the solution into an opensource SMC library, its usage in an SMC service infrastructure, and showcased in the scope of two use cases in the fields of medicine and defense. These services were used in the context of a 5-node test network deployed in Aveiro leveraging both research and commercial QKD Modules, demonstrating the viability of the solutions.
The emergence of quantum computing introduces unprecedented risks to classical cryptographic schemes, particularly digital signatures that safeguard authentication, confidentiality, and data integrity across digital ecosystems. To address these concerns, this paper investigates the adoption of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) within Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) frameworks, emphasizing its role in strengthening electronic signature (eSign) systems against quantum threats. Traditional PKI implementations rely on algorithms such as RSA and ECC in combination with Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) for secure key management; however, these methods are vulnerable to quantum algorithms like Shor's. We examine how quantum-resistant alternatives-including lattice-based, hash-based, and multivariate polynomial-based schemes standardized by NIST-can be integrated into PKI without compromising interoperability and compliance. A comparative evaluation highlights trade-offs in performance, storage, and computational complexity while demonstrating the feasibility of embedding PQC into existing eSign infrastructures. Our findings underscore the urgency of transitioning towards quantum-safe digital signatures to ensure resilience, regulatory alignment, and long-term trust in national-scale digital services.
The growing dependence on digital communications underscores the need to protect data as it travels through the network. Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) plays a central role, providing a robust framework to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of transmitted data. However, advances in Quantum Computing pose a significant threat to current public-key cryptographic schemes by enabling efficient solutions to factoring and discrete logarithm problems. A promising solution also arises from the quantum domain. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) provides a security layer immune to any computational attacks, whether quantum or classical. While the rapid adoption of quantum-safe technologies is highly desirable, it is equally important to ensure the resilience of existing trusted infrastructures, as the introduction of novel technologies may also entail unforeseen challenges. Enabling an evolutionary path that brings our current security infrastructure to a quantum-safe one, protected against both present and future threats, is thus very important. This work proposes a solution that integrates emerging quantum technologies into the existing security and communications infrastructure to ensure long-term protection. We focus on IPsec —one of the most widely deployed security protocols— and combine it with Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and QKD to construct a novel network security infrastructure that is resilient against both classical and quantum computational threats. Building upon recent standardization initiatives and operational tools for QKD integration, we demonstrate advanced capabilities -including rekeying and secure key transport- on a field deployed QKD network operating within a shared quantum-classical production infrastructure.
The widespread cryptographic methods RSA and AES have become more susceptible to quantum-based attacks because researchers developed quantum algorithms such as Shor's and Grover's. QKD chromosomes from quantum mechanics grant authorized parties the ability to exchange cryptographic keys securely alongside built-in eavesdropping detection functionality. In the proposed method a Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is used to integrate into cloud environments to secure data against quantum threats which have become crucial security concerns today. A new security framework for combining QKD with standard cloud utilities strengthens both access privacy and verify data integrity and ensure authentication of user information. The system framework consists of key generation from quantum elements followed by distribution through quantum channels to support secure communication protocols for Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) as well as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). The key performance evaluation of the QKD system includes measurements of key generation rate together with Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER) and eavesdropping detection accuracy rates. The analysis against traditional cryptographic systems proves that QKD stands superior in quantum attack resilience. The proposed system demonstrates its efficiency and robustness through simulation outcomes as well as visual representations. The presented work demonstrates both the revolutionary capability of quantum technology for cloud security along with a deployable system architecture for future systems implementation. The research work advances the creation of cloud infrastructure systems which combine high security resilience to protect against future cyber threats.