The development of computing technologies has made it possible not only to expand the range of mobile communication services, but also to significantly increase computing capabilities. The emergence of mobile Internet, 4G, 5G technologies makes it possible to talk about a fundamentally different approach to ensuring the quality of service to network customers, creating fundamentally new approaches to ensuring the efficiency and reliability of transmitted information flows. However, such a rapid growth of GSM technologies without the introduction of security services leads to active actions of attackers and cyber terrorists, the emergence of new and modification of known threats. Mobile communication channels are used by cybercriminals for selfish purposes of access to database resources not only of the mobile Internet, but also to the databases of information and communication systems and networks. The article proposes a fundamentally new approach to ensuring the closure of the voice channel of the mobile Internet based on post-quantum cryptography algorithms – McEliece and Niederreiter crypto-code constructions on elliptic codes. This approach provides not only the offline mode of closing the voice channel and creating a VPN channel in tunnel mode, but also the required level of cryptographic strength in the face of the emergence of full-scale quantum computers.
The development of computing technologies has made it possible not only to expand the range of mobile communication services, but also to significantly increase computing capabilities. The emergence of mobile Internet, 4G, 5G technologies makes it possible to talk about a fundamentally different approach to ensuring the quality of service to network customers, creating fundamentally new approaches to ensuring the efficiency and reliability of transmitted information flows. However, such a rapid growth of GSM technologies without the introduction of security services leads to active actions of attackers and cyber terrorists, the emergence of new and modification of known threats. Mobile communication channels are used by cybercriminals for selfish purposes of access to database resources not only of the mobile Internet, but also to the databases of information and communication systems and networks. The article proposes a fundamentally new approach to ensuring the closure of the voice channel of the mobile Internet based on post-quantum cryptography algorithms – McEliece and Niederreiter crypto-code constructions on elliptic codes. This approach provides not only the offline mode of closing the voice channel and creating a VPN channel in tunnel mode, but also the required level of cryptographic strength in the face of the emergence of full-scale quantum computers.
The development of mobile technologies and their integration with Internet of Things and smart technologies form both cyber-physical and socio-cyber-physical systems. In such systems, as a rule, wireless communication channels are used, in which SSL/TLS protocols are used to provide security services (confidentiality, integrity and authenticity). However, this protocol is not only vulnerable to "Meeting in the Middle", POODLE, BEAST, CRIME, BREACH attacks, but with the advent of a full-scale quantum computer, it can be broken. The article proposes a protocol based on quantum algorithms – crypto-code constructions, which will ensure not only resistance to current attacks, but also stability in the post-quantum period. To ensure the "hybridity" of services, it is proposed to use McEliece and Niederreiter crypto-code constructions and the improved UMAC algorithm based on McEliece crypto-code design. The use of crypto-code constructions provides not only resistance to attacks, but also simplifies the formation of a connection – the parameters of elliptic curves are used for the transmission of the common key. This approach significantly reduces the time of connecting mobile gadgets and simplifies the procedure of agreement before data transfer.
The object of the research is the development of a method for ensuring the authenticity and integrity of data in wireless channels based on post-quantum cryptosystems. The development of modern digital technologies ensures the transition to smart technologies and the formation of Next Generation Networks. The formation of smart technologies, as a rule, uses wireless communication channel standards IEEE 802.11X, IEEE 802.15.4, IEEE 802.16, which use only authentication protocols and privacy mechanisms, which are formed on symmetric algorithms. In the conditions of the post-quantum period (the advent of a full-scale quantum computer), the stability of such algorithms is questioned. Such systems, as a rule, are formed on the basis of the synthesis of socio-cyber-physical systems and cloud technologies, which simplifies the conduct of Advanced Persistent Threat attacks, both on the internal circuit of execution systems and on external control systems. The creation of multi-circuit information protection systems allows for an objective assessment of the current state of the system as a whole and the formation of preventive measures to counter cyber threats. The proposed method of providing basic security services: confidentiality, integrity and authenticity based on crypto-code constructions takes into account the level of secrecy of information transmitted over wireless channels and/or stored in databases of socio-cyber-physical systems. The use of post-quantum algorithms – McEliece/Niederreiter crypto-code constructions on elliptic/modified elliptic/lossy/Low-density parity-check code provides the necessary level of stability in the post-quantum cryptoperiod (crypto-stability at the level of 1025–1035 group operations), speed and probability of information (Рerr not lower than 10-9–10-12). The proposed method of information exchange using wireless communication channels ensures their practical implementation on resource-limited devices (creating of CCC on the GF field (24–26).
Mobile communication networks are becoming more ubiquitous than ever and are rapidly evolving with increasing adoption beyond traditional services such as voice and data. With 5G and emerging 6G standards, wireless communication networks are expected to play a critical role in various domains including AI-enabled services, robotics, industrial automation, and human critical services. In this context, ensuring the security of mobile networks through a security-first design approach is paramount. Current classical cryptosystems in communication networks rely on asymmetric key cryptography, which is vulnerable to attacks by adversaries equipped with quantum computing capabilities. To address this, solutions such as Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) algorithms standardized by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and hybrid approaches combining traditional and PQC algorithms have been proposed. The integration of these solutions into future communication systems such as advanced 5G and 6G is crucial to safeguard against quantum threats. Let’s explore how such an integrated network architecture can be envisioned, the impact on various 3GPP (3rdGeneration Partnership Project) procedures that currently use asymmetric cryptography, the transition from hybrid to standalone approaches to replace them, and the key challenges and considerations that must be addressed during this adoption process.
Every attempt to access to the Internet through a Web browser, email sent, VPN connection, VoIP call, instant message or other use of telecommunications systems involves cryptographic techniques. The most commonly applied technique is asymmetric cryptography, which is generally executed in the background without the user even being aware. It establishes a cryptographic code based on the computational complexity of mathematical problems. However, this type of cryptography, which is widely used in today’s telecommunications systems, is under threat as electronics and computing rapidly develop. The development of fifth-generation cellular networks (5G) is gaining momentum, and given its wide field of application, security requires special attention. This is especially true faced with the development of quantum computers. One solution to this security challenge is to use more advanced techniques to establish cryptographic keys that are not susceptible to attack. An essential part of quantum cryptography, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) uses the principles of quantum physics to establish and distribute symmetric cryptographic keys between two geographically distant users. QKD establishes information-theoretically secure cryptographic keys that are resistant to eavesdropping when they are created. In this paper, we survey the security challenges and approaches in 5G networks concerning network protocols, interfaces and management organizations. We begin by examining the fundamentals of QKD and discuss the creation of QKD networks and their applications. We then outline QKD network architecture and its components and standards, following with a summary of QKD and post-quantum key distribution techniques and approaches for its integration into existing security frameworks such as VPNs (IPsec and MACsec). We also discuss the requirements, architecture and methods for implementing the FPGA-based encryptors needed to execute cryptographic algorithms with security keys. We discuss the performance and technologies of post-quantum cryptography, and finally, examine reported 5G demonstrations which have used quantum technologies, highlighting future research directions.
The threats are existential to the traditional cryptosystems of public keys, including RSA, Diffie-Hellman, and elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), due to the rapid progress in quantum computing. Such algorithms as the Shor and Grover algorithms prove that as soon as large scale quantum computers are achieved, these classical cryptographic protocols will not provide any privacy and integrity to online communication. This has created an emergency to find post-quantum cryptography (PQC), or quantum-safe cryptography, which will resist attacks by both classical and quantum attackers. The paper is a review of the latest research and development in post-quantum cryptographic algorithms and their implementation in current security systems. We organize quantum-safe methods into significant organizations such as lattice-based, hash-based, multivariate polynomial-based and code-based encrypted communications. Each type has been evaluated critically based on computational efficiency, key sizes, speed of encryption/decryption and security proofs. The survey also examines the current standardization activities happening in the world and especially the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) PQC competition, which lists candidate algorithms that have advanced to standard adoption. Besides this, the paper addresses hybrid cryptographic designs that use both classical and post-quantum bases in ensuring a seamless migration in the transition phase. Internet security protocols like TLS, VPNs and blockchain consensus as applications of PQC are examined in detail. Lastly, we pinpoint open research issues, which include creating lightweight PQC to support resource-constrained IoT devices, balancing performance and strong security assurances, and interoperability between the new PQC algorithms and existing infrastructures. Through detailed survey we inform the future of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers on the preparation of the post-quantum era of secure digital communications.
Abstract Conventional cryptographic methods are losing their long-term reliability in the face of growing information security threats ranging from increasing computational power to the emergence of quantum computers. In this regard, quantum cryptography technologies, in particular, quantum key distribution (QKD), are emerging as promising tools for ensuring physically grounded data security. This work presents a comprehensive analysis of the potential for autonomous implementation of QKD in 4G/5G mobile networks, focusing on practical deployment and possible limitations. Additionally, the integration of post-quantum cryptography and QKD is explored as a complementary approach to securing user data, along with the prospects for building a secure infrastructure based on VPN technologies and QKD systems. Special attention is given to comparison of international and domestic developments in this field and evaluation of the applicability of these technologies in existing mobile networks.