In this paper, a key distribution protocol based on the integration of both classical and quantum cryptography is developed. Quantum cryptography is used for secure optical transmission which employs quantum mechanisms to distribute session keys. Classical cryptography provides convenient techniques that enable efficient user authentication and prevent denial of previous commitments. The proposed scheme is based on the RSA-TBOS signcryption scheme to achieve the combined functionality of a digital signature and encryption in an efficient manner. The transmitter generates a random session key, and applies the signcryption module to it. It therefore offers three services: privacy, authenticity and non-repudiation. The ciphertext is converted to binary bits then to qubits using a pre-shared random number between the transmitter and receiver. The session key is used later for secure transmission of messages over a public optical channel.
In this paper, a key distribution protocol based on the integration of both classical and quantum cryptography is developed. Quantum cryptography is used for secure optical transmission which employs quantum mechanisms to distribute session keys. Classical cryptography provides convenient techniques that enable efficient user authentication and prevent denial of previous commitments. The proposed scheme is based on the RSA-TBOS signcryption scheme to achieve the combined functionality of a digital signature and encryption in an efficient manner. The transmitter generates a random session key, and applies the signcryption module to it. It therefore offers three services: privacy, authenticity and non-repudiation. The ciphertext is converted to binary bits then to qubits using a pre-shared random number between the transmitter and receiver. The session key is used later for secure transmission of messages over a public optical channel.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocols, such as BB84, require secure authentication of their classical communication channel to ensure message integrity and authenticity, which is fundamental to successfully distribute unconditionally secure keys and prevent critical vulnerabilities. Traditionally, QKD relies on pre-shared secret keys for this authentication, posing significant scalability challenges. Employing asymmetric encryption methods is also not a viable alternative, as these methods are either vulnerable to quantum computing attacks or lack rigorous security proofs. To address these issues, we propose using the well-established Kerberos authentication protocol, which relies on symmetric cryptography inherently resistant to known quantum attacks, to securely distribute symmetric session keys that authenticate classical communication in QKD systems. We demonstrate the feasibility and practical security advantages of employing Kerberos-generated session keys, inherently resistant to quantum computing attacks, without modifying existing Kerberos workflows, providing a practical quantum-secure solution that leverages existing IT infrastructure.
Quantum Cryptography (QC) is the emerging field of the current world and the potential player of the future. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is the matured discipline of QC and available in the market to establish a secret key between parties. In order to achieve in multiparty, basically quantum entanglement has been applied over a theoretical settings. However, due to practical limitation, entanglement based research has a feasible difficulty with current technology. The thesis principal goal is to propose a framework for quantum protocol layer for secure key management without entanglement over multiparty environment. In the secret key management, conference key or Multiparty QKD (MQKD) and joint-venture key or Public Shared Secret Quantum Key (PSSQK) protocols acted as a top layer and quantum user authentication scheme as a middle layer and the standard QKD operation as a bottom layer. The proposed secrete key management protocols are based on secret key between parties using QKD, modified error correction code and linear independent matrix. These protocols require only classical communication and yield higher secret key rate regardless of distance and noise. The security analysis using guessing entropy has applied and results shows only negligible amount information can be extracted during eavesdropping. The challenge-challenge response technique has been applied to proposed quantum user authentication scheme for verification of quantum user. This is a bidirectional authentication scheme and requires both quantum and classical channel to execute and has two modes of operation, i.e., initial and session authentication.Due to deterministic key distribution orientation, the efficiency of protocol reaches up to 100% in terms of reduction of photon wastage during communication. Further, this scheme is resilient to various quantum security attacks However, this scheme requires noiseless quantum channel in order to detect the insider and outsider attacks during authentication. A GUI based discrete event simulation has developed using OptiSystem™ in order to test the practical feasibility of proposed quantum cryptography protocol layer. The polarized based discrete variable QKD protocols have been designed and analyzed. Due to lack of real receiver setup, the results have showed lower quantum bit error rate. Further, we analyzed the impact of polarization structure of qubit due to noise, loss and distance over fiber optics and free space. A multiparty QKD setuphas been designed based on frequency division multiplexing (FDM) centralized quantum channel server. This approach reduces the requirement of total quantum channel from N*(N-1)/2 to N and each party requires one quantum channel to communicate with all other parties. The bit commitment protocol and message authentication in the layer has considered for the future research direction.
Abstract: Problem statement: In previous researches, we investigated the security of communication channels, which utilizes authentication, key distribution between two parties, error corrections and cost establishment. In the present work, we studied new concepts of Quantum Authentication (QA) and sharing key according to previous points. Approach: This study presented a new protocol concept that allows the session and key generation on-site by independently applying a cascade of two hash functions on a random string of bits at the sender and receiver sides. This protocol however, required a reliable method of authentication. It employed an out-of-band authentication methodology based on quantum theory, which uses entangled pairs of photons. Results: The proposed quantumauthenticated channel is secure in the presence of eavesdropper who has access to both the classical and the quantum channels. Conclusion/Recommendations: The key distribution process using cascaded hash functions provides better security. The concepts presented by this protocol represent a valid approach to the communication security problem.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a promising technique for addressing quantum threats. To enable easy-to-use cryptographic services based on QKD, we designed a cryptosystem that integrates classical cryptographic systems with key generation and distribution using a QKD network. The proposed cryptosystem comprises a centrally deployed cryptography management service platform and distributed key management systems. The paper presents the functional modules, main processes, interface design, and security requirements of the cryptosystem. This cryptosystem provides a secure and efficient way to offer cryptographic services for various business applications, such as identity authentication, application authorization and point-to-point or group session key distribution. By integrating QKD with classical cryptosystems, this approach can improve the security of traditional cryptographic systems by using the random and unconditionally secure keys generated by QKD. Furthermore, combining QKD with classical cryptographic systems can enhance the scalability of QKD and provide more efficient and cost-effective solutions for large-scale cryptographic services.
In this paper, an efficient arbitrated quantum signature scheme is proposed by combining quantum cryptographic techniques and some ideas in classical cryptography. In the presented scheme, the signatory and the receiver can share a long-term secret key with the arbitrator by utilizing the key together with a random number. While in previous quantum signature schemes, the key shared between the signatory and the arbitrator or between the receiver and the arbitrator could be used only once, and thus each time when a signatory needs to sign, the signatory and the receiver have to obtain a new key shared with the arbitrator through a quantum key distribution protocol. Detailed theoretical analysis shows that the proposed scheme is efficient and provably secure.
Key establishment is a crucial primitive for building secure channels: in a multi-party setting, it allows two parties using only public authenticated communication to establish a secret session key which can be used to encrypt messages. But if the session key is compromised, the confidentiality of encrypted messages is typically compromised as well. Without quantum mechanics, key establishment can only be done under the assumption that some computational problem is hard. Since digital communication can be easily eavesdropped and recorded, it is important to consider the secrecy of information anticipating future algorithmic and computational discoveries which could break the secrecy of past keys, violating the secrecy of the confidential channel. Quantum key distribution (QKD) can be used generate secret keys that are secure against any future algorithmic or computational improvements. QKD protocols still require authentication of classical communication, however, which is most easily achieved using computationally secure digital signature schemes. It is generally considered folklore that QKD when used with computationally secure authentication is still secure against an unbounded adversary, provided the adversary did not break the authentication during the run of the protocol. We describe a security model for quantum key distribution based on traditional classical authenticated key exchange (AKE) security models. Using our model, we characterize the long-term security of the BB84 QKD protocol with computationally secure authentication against an eventually unbounded adversary. By basing our model on traditional AKE models, we can more readily compare the relative merits of various forms of QKD and existing classical AKE protocols. This comparison illustrates in which types of adversarial environments different quantum and classical key agreement protocols can be secure.