Abstract Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is one type of Quantum Cryptography (QC) which is based on quantum mechanics fundamentals such as Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle and No-cloning theory. The usage of QKD warns the legitimate communicated parties to any attack attempt and this is the most interesting security parameter. Therefore, QKD provides unconditional secure communication method and supports a powerful encryption scheme. The combination between classical communication and QKD creates a new technique called semi quantum key distribution SQKD. Unfortunately, SQKD increases the schemes complexity and requires two steps for ciphering, scramble and encryption. In this paper an enhance image encryption algorithm is proposed based on QKD that eliminates most of the drawbacks of SQKD. The proposed algorithm is simpler than other encryption schemes as it exploits only one encryption step based on the power and the randomness of the generated secret key, which decreases the chance to be cracked. The correctness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm are validated by numerical simulations.
Abstract Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is one type of Quantum Cryptography (QC) which is based on quantum mechanics fundamentals such as Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle and No-cloning theory. The usage of QKD warns the legitimate communicated parties to any attack attempt and this is the most interesting security parameter. Therefore, QKD provides unconditional secure communication method and supports a powerful encryption scheme. The combination between classical communication and QKD creates a new technique called semi quantum key distribution SQKD. Unfortunately, SQKD increases the schemes complexity and requires two steps for ciphering, scramble and encryption. In this paper an enhance image encryption algorithm is proposed based on QKD that eliminates most of the drawbacks of SQKD. The proposed algorithm is simpler than other encryption schemes as it exploits only one encryption step based on the power and the randomness of the generated secret key, which decreases the chance to be cracked. The correctness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm are validated by numerical simulations.
Cryptography is being introduced to secure data. Through Classical Cryptographic technique, we can encrypt our data and secure secret key also. But classical cryptography is based on mathematical techniques where reversing one-way function is possible with sufficient computing power and time. So, Quantum Cryptography is introduced to overcome those drawbacks of traditional classical cryptography. It is based on the values of quantum mechanics and photon. Scientists and researchers have brought up a new key distribution protocol based on Quantum Cryptography is called Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Protocol. The first QKD protocol BB84 was introduced by Charles Bennett and Gilles Brassard in 1984. After that several QKD protocols have been created. In this paper we have improved BB84 Protocol by removing the drawbacks of the existing algorithm towards Eavesdropping which may not be detected or disclosing large portion of secret key. Steps of the existing BB84 algorithm along with the modified one is described in detail with example and pseudo code. Limitations of BB84 and comparative study of both the existing and the improved one based on their security has been made and described in this current work.
In the digital era, the security of image data has become increasingly important. This study aims to develop an image encryption scheme based on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Fractional Fourier Transform (FRFT) to enhance the security of image data transmission and storage. The proposed scheme first utilizes QKD to generate and distribute secure encryption keys, ensuring the unconditional security of the key distribution process. Subsequently, FRFT is employed to perform complex transformations on the image data, using fractional order parameters to achieve multi-scale representation of the image in both time and frequency domains, thereby increasing the complexity and security of the encryption process. Experimental results demonstrate that this scheme exhibits significant advantages in terms of the quality of encrypted images and their resistance to attacks. Specifically, the encrypted images possess high Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) and Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), effectively resisting various attacks. Comparative analysis further verifies the superiority of this scheme in terms of security and efficiency. In summary, the proposed combination of QKD and FRFT for image encryption holds great potential and research value in the protection of image data.
Quantum key distribution is an innovative technique to distribute encryption keys without compromise. This paper focuses on the application of this technique to achieve reliable communication in an ever-evolving and increasingly vulnerable environment. Designers of cryptosystems have three basic objectives; designing cryptographic algorithms that adequately scramble the target data, developing strong encryption keys to lock and unlock the algorithm, and securely distributing the keys between communicating devices. The advance of quantum computing technologies threatens to expose the world's most prolific key method overnight. Though quantum computing is not yet a reality, the basic principles have been proven in laboratories. Furthermore, quantum computing has been shown to be especially suited for computations of complex mathematic equations; such as distilling the private keys from the public keys used in public key infrastructures (PKI). In this environment, it's comforting to know that the most advanced technology in the broad field of quantum communications just happens to be a new method of creating and distributing encryption keys. This technology is referred to as quantum key distribution (QKD). QKD technologies shift the current paradigm on two plains. The first is that it uses quantum principles, rather than conventional means, for distributing keys between devices. The quantum principles guarantee the key can not be intercepted during transmission without alerting the users of a compromise. The second shift is derived from the fact that encrypted data can not be intercepted today and decrypted at a later date when the computing power exists to crack the code. This shift is dependant on the use of a combination of QKD and one-time pad. Because of the quantum principles that QKD relies on, when a key is successfully created and shared, it can not be cracked using intercepted data. The keys are derived from a convergence of random operations conducted at the sender and receiver stations. Indeed, neither the sender nor the receiver can determine what the key will be until the entire process is completed. As a piece of our security infrastructure, QKD significantly raises our security posture. This paper explains the application of quantum principals used to enable QKD systems.
Abstract Cryptography is a scientific method that is used to transmit secret information. In contrast, quantum cryptography depends on physical laws to encrypt information; when the quantum computer appeared, the classic encryption method becomes inefficient. The quantum method is commonly used to distribute keys, a process called as quantum key distribution (QKD). In this paper, we consider the efficiency of the quantum method compared to classical methods. Also, we discuss the security of QKD against several attacks and provide security analysis based on probabilistic models. Additionally, the paper explains how to encrypt random numbers into a sequence of photons using a QKD system for the distribution of a key. This research demonstrates the efficiency and security of QKD in sending and distributing keys between communication parties. Thus, both the sender and the receiver would be able to obtain a security key using the quantum method rather than classical methods.
Abstract Most modern cryptographic mechanisms are often based on the key distribution schemes, the security of which depends on the computational complexity and the power used to break the encryption. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is gaining popularity as a panacea to the issue of secure key distribution due to its ability to show secret keys' information-theoretic protection that is already suitable for commercialization. The goal is to generate a secret key between trusted parties connected through a quantum channel and an authenticated classical channel. The technology promises unconditional secure communication based on the principles of quantum mechanics without limiting the power of an eavesdropper. The first three sections provide a contemporary review of the Quantum Key Distribution in a nutshell. The remaining part of the paper deals with the key parameters and implementations that have been developed to assess the security of the leading experimental platforms and the challenges with respect to the development of this technology such as optimally overlaying the logic gates via quantum-dot cellular automata, which also creates possible avenues for research in the cryptographic domain.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of cybersecurity, traditional cryptographic systems are increasingly vulnerable to attacks, including brute-force, side-channel, man-in-the-middle, replay, and ransomware attacks, highlight the limitations of classical encryption techniques. Quantum cryptography leverages the no-cloning theorem and the properties of quantum states to establish fundamentally secure communication protocols with intrinsic eavesdropping detection capabilities. This security framework provides information-theoretic protection beyond the mathematical assumptions underlying conventional cryptographic systems. Quantum image security has evolved into two major paradigms: Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Quantum Secure Direct Communication (QSDC). Although recent surveys have reviewed both approaches chronologically, they have not systematically analysed their security thresholds The objective of this paper proposes a three-axis taxonomy of QSDC protocols, classifying them by quantum resource type, physical transmission channel, and device trust model. Furthermore, it presents a comparative performance analysis of QKD employing a hyperchaotic cipher over QSDC channels across seven quantum image representations, including FRQI, NEQR, GQIR, and MCQI. The analysis shows that QKD-seeded schemes achieve efficient key distribution, whereas pixel-level security remains dependent on cipher complexity. In contrast, QSDC provides end-to-end security governed by quantum mechanical principles; hyperentangled carriers achieve an eavesdropping detection probability of 0.875 compared with 0.5 for conventional two-step protocols, although communication throughput remains a limiting factor. Based on these findings, this review outlines future research directions, including QSDC-specific quantum repeaters for continental-scale deployment, hyperentangled carriers supporting up to 12 bits per photon pair compatible with NEQR’s 8-bit encoding, and machine-learning-assisted management of hybrid fiber–free-space quantum communication networks.