Cybertwin-driven-based network architecture for sixth generation (6G) is a new cloud-centric network architecture, which was put forward to address challenges of 6G, such as scalability, security, mobility, and availability. As more and more users’ data are obtained and converted into other digital asset by the cybertwin, relevant techniques of data management to enhance privacy and security becomes a key challenge for Cybertwin-driven 6G. The double authentication preventing ring signature (DAPRS) is a cryptographic primitive that meets requirements of authenticity, anonymity of users’ private data, and linkability of users’ misbehavior, so it is suitable for monitoring behaviors of risky users. In this article, we propose a post-quantum secure ring signature to enhance security and privacy in Cybertwin-driven 6G (PRSG). In the PRSG, we first put forward an accumulator based on a chameleon hash function that allows to efficiently prove knowledge of an accumulated value. Then, we construct a DAPRS based on the accumulator and the zero-knowledge argument of knowledge. Finally, we present how to use the DAPRS to build a secure and efficient privacy-preserving scheme in the Cybertwin-driven 6G. Security proof shows that this scheme achieves anonymity, unforgeability, as well as double signature extractability. Also, we make some security analysis and performance evaluation to demonstrate that the PRSG has low communication complexity, high performance, and privacy preservation in the cybertwin-driven 6G.
Cybertwin-driven-based network architecture for sixth generation (6G) is a new cloud-centric network architecture, which was put forward to address challenges of 6G, such as scalability, security, mobility, and availability. As more and more users’ data are obtained and converted into other digital asset by the cybertwin, relevant techniques of data management to enhance privacy and security becomes a key challenge for Cybertwin-driven 6G. The double authentication preventing ring signature (DAPRS) is a cryptographic primitive that meets requirements of authenticity, anonymity of users’ private data, and linkability of users’ misbehavior, so it is suitable for monitoring behaviors of risky users. In this article, we propose a post-quantum secure ring signature to enhance security and privacy in Cybertwin-driven 6G (PRSG). In the PRSG, we first put forward an accumulator based on a chameleon hash function that allows to efficiently prove knowledge of an accumulated value. Then, we construct a DAPRS based on the accumulator and the zero-knowledge argument of knowledge. Finally, we present how to use the DAPRS to build a secure and efficient privacy-preserving scheme in the Cybertwin-driven 6G. Security proof shows that this scheme achieves anonymity, unforgeability, as well as double signature extractability. Also, we make some security analysis and performance evaluation to demonstrate that the PRSG has low communication complexity, high performance, and privacy preservation in the cybertwin-driven 6G.
Communication and networked systems rely heavily on cryptographic digital signatures to ensure message authenticity, integrity, and non-repudiation. However, rapid advancements in quantum computing and artificial intelligence (AI) have expanded the attack surface, posing significant threats to conventional public-key schemes such as RSA, DSA, and ECDSA. Quantum algorithms undermine their underlying hardness assumptions, while AI-driven techniques enable traffic analysis, side-channel inference, and behavioral pattern recognition. This review presents a structured analytical assessment of post-quantum signature schemes and privacy-preserving authentication mechanisms to address these dual threats. It evaluates lattice-based, hash-based, and zero-knowledge proof-based signatures, as well as anonymity-enhancing schemes such as ring and group signatures. A unified analytical framework is introduced to map cryptographic schemes to quantum and AI-assisted threat models, based on parameters such as security strength, anonymity, efficiency, and applicability. The analysis shows that lattice- and hash-based schemes provide strong quantum resistance, while privacy-preserving mechanisms enhance anonymity but introduce performance trade-offs. It also identifies a gap in integrating post-quantum cryptography with AI-resilient privacy mechanisms. The findings highlight the need for unified, future-ready cryptographic designs.
With the rapid development of quantum computers and quantum computing, Internet of Things (IoT) networks equipped with traditional cryptographic algorithms have become very weak against quantum attacks. This paper focuses on the privacy-preserving problem in IoT networks and proposes a certificateless ring signature (CLRS) scheme. This CLRS is constructed with lattice theories, which show promising advantages in resisting quantum attacks. Meanwhile, the certificateless mechanism reduces the key control ability of the key generation center (KGC) by adding personal secret keys to the private key generated by the system. Meanwhile, the ring signature mechanism protects users' privacy information through a non-central control mechanism. Next, the security proof in a random oracle model is given, which shows that this CLRS scheme can obtain unforgeability and ensure the signer's anonymity. Its security properties include non-repudiation, traceability, and post-quantum security. Then, the efficiency comparison and performance results show that this CLRS scheme is more efficient and practical than similar schemes. Moreover, this work presents an exploration of the post-quantum cryptographic algorithm and its application in IoT networks.
Quantum signature has become a hot topic in the current research of digital signature schemes due to its unconditional security. As a special kind of digital signature, ring signatures are frequently employed in practical situations because of their superior anonymity. In this work, we propose a quantum ring signature scheme based on secret sharing that does not use entanglement states. To guarantee the complete security of the participants’ secret keys, the idea of secret sharing is incorporated into the quantum key distribution process during the key distribution stage. Each ring member contributes his private key share to the final verification formula through a recursive relationship throughout the signing and verification phases, and the verifier can utilize his private key share along with the user’s public key to confirm the ring members’ authenticity; The [Formula: see text]-AS2U hash function is used to encrypt the ring signer’s identity during the entire signature process, which assures the signer’s identity’s complete anonymity, effectively protects the signer’s privacy, and is more in line with practical requirements.
Ring signatures, a novel cryptographic primitive, were introduced by Rivest, Shamir, and Tauman at ASIACRYPT 2001. It allows a member of a group to sign a message on behalf of an ad-hoc group of users, known as a ring, without revealing its identity. Ring signatures, initially introduced for applications such as whistle-blowing and confidential disclosures, have since gained significant relevance and widespread adoption across various domains, including blockchain technologies, ad-hoc networks, anonymous transactions, location-based services, cloud computing platforms, and outsourced computation. However, traditional ring signatures are vulnerable if the signers’ keys are compromised. To resolve this vulnerability, Liu and Wong introduced the notion of forward-secure ring signatures at IJNS 2008. Forward-security ensures that even if a signer’s secret key is compromised, signatures generated in prior time periods remain secure. It significantly reduces the damage caused by secret key exposure, making it crucial for long-term security in applications such as whistle-blowing or anonymous authentication. However, most existing forward-secure ring signature schemes are based on number-theoretic assumptions, making them vulnerable to quantum adversaries. Yu and Wang proposed a quantum-safe forward-secure ring signature scheme at ICICS 2023, and Yu et al. further extended this work in Computer Networks (2025), retaining the same ring signature scheme with forward security. But the scheme suffers from large signatures that grow linearly with the ring size. In this paper, we propose a lattice-based forward-secure ring signature scheme in the quantum random oracle model ( QROM ) that simultaneously achieves security against quantum adversaries and compact signature size. Notably, the signature size is logarithmic in the number of members in the ring, enabling significantly better scalability compared to prior constructions.
The development of sixth-generation (6G) networks, focused on ultra-dense access scenarios, ultra-low latency, and massive connectivity of heterogeneous devices, significantly increases the requirements for authentication mechanisms and cybersecurity. An additional risk factor is the projected progress in quantum computing, which challenges the long-term security of classical cryptographic algorithms and necessitates the integration of post-quantum digital signatures into telecommunication protocols. At the same time, existing approaches to implementing post-quantum cryptography in mobile networks are primarily based on static schemes and do not account for the dynamic operating conditions of 6G ultra-dense networks. This paper investigates the problem of constructing quantum-resistant and high-performance authentication protocols for 6G networks, considering fluctuating network parameters, device heterogeneity, and constraints on computational and energy resources. It is demonstrated that the static application of post-quantum digital signatures fails to provide the necessary balance between security levels and the efficiency of authentication procedures in ultra-dense access scenarios. To overcome these limitations, a generalized methodology for the dynamic optimization of post-quantum digital signatures in 6G authentication protocols is proposed. This methodology is based on the adaptive selection of cryptographic algorithms and their parameters depending on the current network state and the resource characteristics of authenticated nodes. The developed model formalizes a mechanism for dynamic signature selection, accounting for latency, computational costs, energy consumption, and quantum resistance levels, which allows for the formulation of formal optimality criteria for 6G networks. The integration of the proposed methods into the authentication protocol forms an adaptive cryptographic architecture capable of scaling under high connection density without compromising security. Experimental simulation results for ultra-dense access scenarios confirm that dynamic optimization reduces authentication latency and energy consumption compared to static post-quantum variants, justifying the feasibility of using adaptive protocols in 6G networks.
With the rapid expansion of consumer electronics and the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, ensuring secure communication in resource-constrained edge devices has become a critical challenge, especially under the threat of quantum attacks. Although lattice-based cryptographic schemes provide post-quantum security, they often suffer from large key storage and high computational overhead, limiting their applicability in edge environments. To address these challenges, we propose an identity-based linkable ring signcryption scheme constructed on the post quantum Lattice cryptography, tailored for edge-enabled IoT systems. The scheme employs a trapdoor generation algorithm to establish the master keys, utilizes compact Gaussian sampling to derive private keys for ring members, and integrates rejection sampling to generate user signatures with strong anonymity. Furthermore, a key encapsulation mechanism ensures identity protection during encryption. Security analysis under the Random Oracle Model (ROM) demonstrates the scheme's resistance to forgery and its linkability property. Performance evaluation shows that the proposed approach achieves smaller public keys, reduced encryption/decryption costs, and enhanced efficiency, making it well-suited for lightweight IoT and consumer electronics applications in the post-quantum era.