Preserving privacy in communication and networking is of paramount importance in the Internet-of-Everything age of escalating surveillance and data collection. Anonymous communication is a cornerstone of this endeavor, enabling individuals to interact and exchange private information without disclosing their identities. However, achieving absolute security and privacy in classical anonymous networks (CANs) is highly challenging, and in particular, the advent of quantum computing poses critical threats to securing classical communication. In this article, we explore the evolution of CANs and delve into the distinctive shift from classical to quantum anonymous networks (QANs), emphasizing a substantial leap in privacy protected by quantum anonymous communication (QAC). The fundamental motivations behind this transition are rooted in the remarkable privacy attributes—e.g., completeanonymityanduntraceability— of QAC protocols, as well as the unconditional security ensured by the principles of quantum mechanics. To make these concepts more tangible in practical settings and provide a benchmark to design the QAC protocols in QANs, we usher in exemplary protocols: quantum anonymous teleportation, voting, and information retrieval. In these case studies, we assess the fidelity and error rates of the QAC protocols in noisy environments, aiming to evaluate their robustness in practical quantum entangled settings. Moreover, we discuss the primary challenges and future research directions integral to the transition towards QANs.Preserving privacy in communication and networking is of paramount importance in the Internet-of-Everything age of escalating surveillance and data collection. Anonymous communication is a cornerstone of this endeavor, enabling individuals to interact and exchange private information without disclosing their identities. However, achieving absolute security and privacy in classical anonymous networks (CANs) is highly challenging, and in particular, the advent of quantum computing poses critical threats to securing classical communication. In this article, we explore the evolution of CANs and delve into the distinctive shift from classical to quantum anonymous networks (QANs), emphasizing a substantial leap in privacy protected by quantum anonymous communication (QAC). The fundamental motivations behind this transition are rooted in the remarkable privacy attributes—e.g., completeanonymityanduntraceability— of QAC protocols, as well as the unconditional security ensured by the principles of quantum mechanics. To make these concepts more tangible in practical settings and provide a benchmark to design the QAC protocols in QANs, we usher in exemplary protocols: quantum anonymous teleportation, voting, and information retrieval. In these case studies, we assess the fidelity and error rates of the QAC protocols in noisy environments, aiming to evaluate their robustness in practical quantum entangled settings. Moreover, we discuss the primary challenges and future research directions integral to the transition towards QANs.

IEEE NetworkJun 3, 202410 citations

Quantum Communication and Authentication

Tristan Bernhard Horst Tentrup, Ravitej Uppu, Tom A. W. Wolterink +12 more

Sep 26, 20160 citations

Experimental implementation of secure anonymous protocols on an eight-user quantum network

Zixin Huang, Siddarth Koduru Joshi, Djeylan Aktas +12 more

Anonymity in networked communication is vital for many privacy-preserving tasks. Secure key distribution alone is insufficient for high-security communications, often knowing who transmits a message to whom and when must also be kept hidden from an adversary. Here we experimentally demonstrate 5 information-theoretically secure anonymity protocols on an 8 user city-wide quantum network using polarisation-entangled photon pairs. At the heart of these protocols is anonymous broadcasting, which is a cryptographic primitive that allows one user to reveal one bit of information while keeping her identity anonymous. For a network of $n$ users, the protocols retain anonymity for the sender, given less than $n-2$ users are dishonest. This is one of the earliest implementations of genuine multi-user cryptographic protocols beyond standard QKD. Our anonymous protocols enhance the functionality of any fully-connected Quantum Key Distribution network without trusted nodes.Anonymity in networked communication is vital for many privacy-preserving tasks. Secure key distribution alone is insufficient for high-security communications, often knowing who transmits a message to whom and when must also be kept hidden from an adversary. Here we experimentally demonstrate 5 information-theoretically secure anonymity protocols on an 8 user city-wide quantum network using polarisation-entangled photon pairs. At the heart of these protocols is anonymous broadcasting, which is a cryptographic primitive that allows one user to reveal one bit of information while keeping her identity anonymous. For a network of $n$ users, the protocols retain anonymity for the sender, given less than $n-2$ users are dishonest. This is one of the earliest implementations of genuine multi-user cryptographic protocols beyond standard QKD. Our anonymous protocols enhance the functionality of any fully-connected Quantum Key Distribution network without trusted nodes.

arXiv:2011.09480Nov 18, 20204 citations

Experimental implementation of secure anonymous protocols on an eight-user quantum key distribution network

Zixin Huang, Siddarth Koduru Joshi, Djeylan Aktas +12 more

Abstract Anonymity in networked communication is vital for many privacy-preserving tasks. Secure key distribution alone is insufficient for high-security communications. Often, knowing who transmits a message to whom and when must also be kept hidden from an adversary. Here, we experimentally demonstrate five information-theoretically secure anonymity protocols on an eight user city-wide quantum network using polarisation entangled photon pairs. At the heart of these protocols is anonymous broadcasting, which is a cryptographic primitive that allows one user to reveal one bit of information while keeping their identity anonymous. For a network of n users, the protocols retain anonymity for the sender, given that no more than n − 2 users are colluding. This is an implementation of genuine multi-user cryptographic protocols beyond standard QKD. Our anonymous protocols enhance the functionality of any fully-connected Quantum Key Distribution network without trusted nodes.Abstract Anonymity in networked communication is vital for many privacy-preserving tasks. Secure key distribution alone is insufficient for high-security communications. Often, knowing who transmits a message to whom and when must also be kept hidden from an adversary. Here, we experimentally demonstrate five information-theoretically secure anonymity protocols on an eight user city-wide quantum network using polarisation entangled photon pairs. At the heart of these protocols is anonymous broadcasting, which is a cryptographic primitive that allows one user to reveal one bit of information while keeping their identity anonymous. For a network of n users, the protocols retain anonymity for the sender, given that no more than n − 2 users are colluding. This is an implementation of genuine multi-user cryptographic protocols beyond standard QKD. Our anonymous protocols enhance the functionality of any fully-connected Quantum Key Distribution network without trusted nodes.

npj Quantum InformationMar 7, 202234 citations

Anonymous Quantum Communication

Gilles Brassard A, Anne Broadbent, Joseph F. Fitzsimons +2 more

Lecture notes in computer scienceJan 1, 200915 citations

n

users, the protocols retain anonymity for the sender, given less than

n-2

users are dishonest. This is one of the earliest implementations of genuine multi-user cryptographic protocols beyond standard QKD. Our anonymous protocols enhance the functionality of any fully-connected Quantum Key Distribution network without trusted nodes.