The demand on MACsec in Ethernet is increasing substantially since MACsec fits well for industrial applications which require strong security as well as efficiency. To provide a long-term security, the MACsec protocol should be resistant to future attacks including quantum attacks. In this paper, MACsec is analysed under a quantum attack scenario. To achieve 128-bit quantum security, AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) algorithms defined in MACsec should mandate to use 256-bit keys. On the other hand, classical public-key cryptosystems in MKA are not secure at all against quantum attacks so that they need to be replaced by post-quantum crypto schemes in a quantum world. We propose an authenticated post-quantum key establishment protocol which is suitable for long-term secure MACsec. The proposed protocol is used in the hybrid mode, an ephemeral key exchange, and an end-to-end encryption. We verified by experiments that the proposed protocol can be deployed in existing a MACsec-enabled Ethernet network.
The demand on MACsec in Ethernet is increasing substantially since MACsec fits well for industrial applications which require strong security as well as efficiency. To provide a long-term security, the MACsec protocol should be resistant to future attacks including quantum attacks. In this paper, MACsec is analysed under a quantum attack scenario. To achieve 128-bit quantum security, AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) algorithms defined in MACsec should mandate to use 256-bit keys. On the other hand, classical public-key cryptosystems in MKA are not secure at all against quantum attacks so that they need to be replaced by post-quantum crypto schemes in a quantum world. We propose an authenticated post-quantum key establishment protocol which is suitable for long-term secure MACsec. The proposed protocol is used in the hybrid mode, an ephemeral key exchange, and an end-to-end encryption. We verified by experiments that the proposed protocol can be deployed in existing a MACsec-enabled Ethernet network.
The industrial demand on MACsec in Ethernet networks is increasing substantially, in particular for 5G networks, mainly due to its efficiency paired with strong security. MKA (MACsec Key Agreement) is a companion protocol of MACsec that provides methods of authentication and cryptographic key establishment. In this paper, the MACsec and MKA protocol are analysed under a quantum attack scenario. Even though the threat of quantum computers should not be overstated, it is necessary to provide a new countermeasure that is robust against this potential, yet critical risk. Symmetric-key crypto algorithms defined in MACsec and MKA can achieve 128-bit quantum security if 256-bit keys are mandated. However, classical public-key crypto schemes are known to be vulnerable to quantum attacks so that MKA protocol needs to support post-quantum public-key crypto schemes. We implemented a McEliece-based key establishment which is the most conservative post-quantum public-key cryptosystem with a large size of key, yet feasible for MKA. For entity authentication, we implemented a XMSS hash-based signature scheme that is standardised in IETF. We verified by experiments that selected schemes fit well for a MACsec-enabled Ethernet network.
Abstract Media access control security (MACsec) is an IEEE 802.1AE standard for secure communication on Ethernet links. MACsec ensures the confidentiality, integrity and origin authenticity of Ethernet frames. The secrecy of MACsec stems from a root key that is either configured as a pre‐shared key or derived from a mutual authentication protocol. However, both methods are not ideal because such a root key may be disclosed due to human errors or broken by quantum attacks. Here, the authors investigate the quantum key distribution (QKD) as an alternative source of trust for MACsec. QKD can be used as either a root key provider or a session key generator. The authors develop a new key exchange protocol based on QKD for Ethernet networks. Furthermore, it is verified by the experiment that QKD could be well integrated into MACsec without performance degradation.
Recent advances in quantum computing have prompted urgent consideration for the migration of classical cryptographic systems to post-quantum alternatives. However, it is impossible to fully understand the impact that migrating to current Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) algorithms will have on various applications without actual implementation of quantum-resistant cryptography. On the other hand, PQC algorithms come with complexity and long processing times, which may impact the Quality of Service (QoS) of many applications. Therefore, PQC-based protocols with practical implementation across various applications are essential. This paper introduces a new framework for PQC standalone and PQC-AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) hybrid Public Key Encryption (PKE) protocols. Building on prior results, we focus on securing applications such as file transfer, video streaming, and chat-based communication using enhanced PQC-based protocols. The extended PQC-based protocols use a sequence number-based mechanism to effectively counter replay and man-in-the-middle attacks and mitigate standard cybersecurity attack vectors. Experimental evaluations examined encryption/decryption speeds, throughput, and processing overhead for these standalone PQC and PQC-AES hybrid schemes, benchmarking them against traditional AES-256 in an existing client-server environment. The results demonstrate that the new approaches achieve a significant balance between security and system performance compared to conventional deployments. Furthermore, the comprehensive security analysis confirms the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed PQC-based protocols across diverse attack scenarios. Notably, the PQC-AES hybrid protocol demonstrates greater efficiency for applications handling larger data volumes (e.g., 10–100 KB) with reduced latency, underscoring the practical necessity of carefully balancing security and operational efficiency in the post-quantum migration process.
With quantum computing technology getting better and faster, many current encryption methods may no longer be safe. One major concern is the SNDL or “Store Now, Decrypt Later” attack [1]. In this scenario, attackers collect and store encrypted data now, planning to decrypt it in the future once quantum computers become strong enough. This is especially risky for public-key systems like RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography [2]. This research focuses on how to keep data safe during the time before post-quantum cryptographic standards are fully rolled out. We review and compare several existing encryption methods. RSA is discussed in terms of its known weaknesses and how it is still used in some hybrid systems. AES, especially AES-256, is looked at for its better performance and stronger protection even in a post-quantum world. We also explore hybrid systems that mix different methods to cover up each other's weak spots. Lastly, we present a new layered hybrid model that brings together classical and post-quantum techniques. The proposed system uses PQC for authentication, Quantum Key Distribution for secure key exchange, and AES for encrypting the actual data.
Advancements in quantum computing pose a significant threat to most of the cryptography currently deployed in our communication networks. Fortunately, cryptographic building blocks to mitigate this threat are already available; mostly based on Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), but also on symmetric cryptography techniques. Notably, those building blocks must be deployed as soon as possible in communication networks due to the “harvest-now decrypt-later” attack scenario, which is already challenging our sensitive and encrypted data today. Following an agile and defense-in-depth approach, Hybrid Authenticated Key-Exchange (HAKE) protocols have recently been gaining significant attention. Such protocols have the benefit of modularly combining classical (symmetric) cryptography, PQC, and QKD to achieve strong confidentiality, authenticity, and integrity guarantees for network channels. Unfortunately, only a few protocols have yet been proposed (mainly Muckle and Muckle+) with different flexibility guarantees. Looking at available standards in the network domain – especially at the Media Access Control Security (MACsec) standard – we believe that HAKE protocols could already bring strong security benefits to MACsec today. MACsec is a standard designed to secure communication at the data link layer in Ethernet networks by providing confidentiality, authenticity, and integrity for all traffic between trusted nodes. In addition, it establishes secure channels within a Local Area Network (LAN), ensuring that data remain protected from eavesdropping, tampering, and unauthorized access, while operating transparently to higher layer protocols. Currently, MACsec does not offer enough protection against the aforementioned threats. In this work, we tackle the challenge and propose a new versatile HAKE protocol, dubbed VMuckle, which is sufficiently flexible for use in MACsec. The use of VMuckle in MACsec provides LAN participants with quantum-safe hybrid key material to ensure secure communication even in the event of cryptographically relevant quantum computers.
The advent of cryptographically relevant quantum computers poses an existential threat to current public-key cryptographic systems (RSA, ECC) widely used in digital communication protocols such as TLS, IPsec, VPNs, and secure messaging. Traditional systems face risks from "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" attacks, compromising long-term confidentiality of sensitive data in finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure. This paper proposes Quantum Shield, a comprehensive post-quantum secure framework for next-generation digital communication. It integrates NIST-standardized post-quantum algorithms (ML-KEM for key encapsulation, ML-DSA and SLH-DSA for digital signatures) with hybrid crypto-agile designs, hardware acceleration support, and role-based access controls. The system ensures quantum-resistant key establishment, authentication, and end-to-end encryption while maintaining low latency and high throughput. Experimental evaluation on simulated network traffic demonstrates acceptable performance overhead, enhanced resistance to quantum attacks, improved traceability, and secure multi-party coordination. Quantum Shield bridges the gap between classical and quantum-safe infrastructures, fostering trust and compliance in an era of quantum threats.