The deployment of post-quantum cryptographic algorithms currently under standardization by NIST have the potential to mitigate quantum computer based attacks, which present a whole new range of cybersecurity challenges. We recognize post-quantum cryptography (PQC) key distribution, across autonomous systems operating in contested areas, as a particularly difficult problem to solve. Verifying the origin and integrity of mission instructions is of extreme importance, especially in the context of autonomous vehicles, missiles, and drones; the lack of which can enable opponents to leverage attacks effecting catastrophic damage to life, property, and strategy. This work proposes a protocol for controlled key distribution through the use of PQC algorithms, strengthened by fingerprints of embedded devices. With this framework, we can assure the origin and correctness of digital information sent to autonomous systems, and enforce that only authorized members can send instructions to these devices. This protocol replaces the deterministic, pseudo-random seed in these PQC protocols with a fingerprint derived from the physical disorder of the embedded device to enhance security and maintain the integrity of the system. We demonstrate how this system can be used to send instructions, verify the origin of the instructions upon receipt, and certify the integrity of the instruction packet received. We also discuss situations in which an attacker attempts to falsify information and how to detect that malicious action. We measure the quality and performance of this prototype system by measuring the latency and bit error rates. We demonstrate this prototype system using the CRYSTALS-DILITHIUM digital signature algorithm (DSA).
The deployment of post-quantum cryptographic algorithms currently under standardization by NIST have the potential to mitigate quantum computer based attacks, which present a whole new range of cybersecurity challenges. We recognize post-quantum cryptography (PQC) key distribution, across autonomous systems operating in contested areas, as a particularly difficult problem to solve. Verifying the origin and integrity of mission instructions is of extreme importance, especially in the context of autonomous vehicles, missiles, and drones; the lack of which can enable opponents to leverage attacks effecting catastrophic damage to life, property, and strategy. This work proposes a protocol for controlled key distribution through the use of PQC algorithms, strengthened by fingerprints of embedded devices. With this framework, we can assure the origin and correctness of digital information sent to autonomous systems, and enforce that only authorized members can send instructions to these devices. This protocol replaces the deterministic, pseudo-random seed in these PQC protocols with a fingerprint derived from the physical disorder of the embedded device to enhance security and maintain the integrity of the system. We demonstrate how this system can be used to send instructions, verify the origin of the instructions upon receipt, and certify the integrity of the instruction packet received. We also discuss situations in which an attacker attempts to falsify information and how to detect that malicious action. We measure the quality and performance of this prototype system by measuring the latency and bit error rates. We demonstrate this prototype system using the CRYSTALS-DILITHIUM digital signature algorithm (DSA).
The advent of quantum computing has precipitated an estimated attack resistant cryptography system necessitating quantum attacks. The classical asymmetric algorithms, i.e., RSA and ECC are susceptible to Shor algorithm and a transition should be made to Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) anymore. The novelty of this work lies in providing a unified comparative framework that analyzes PQC families through security assumptions, concrete key/ciphertext sizes, and implementation complexity an aspect not addressed collectively in prior surveys. This survey gives a general picture of the status of the design process and general evaluation of PQC accounting its application within the paradigm of the diversified networks including the IoT and 5G/6G and in the cyber-physical environment. Furthermore, this review uniquely synthesizes practical hybrid‑deployment strategies, including protocol layering, coexistence models, and backward‑compatibility mechanisms, offering actionable guidance for real‑world migration. Additionally, the manuscript contributes a prioritized list of open problems across IoT, 5G/6G, blockchain, and cyber‑physical systems, highlighting domains facing the most urgent quantum‑resilience challenges. In this paper, the authors will evaluate the most popular PQC schemes, including schemes based on lattice, code, hash, and isogeny, depending on their performance, scalability, and interoperability (with reference to the recent research). It also examines the problems of integration as implemented with respect to the computational overhead, latency and adoption of hybrid with classical cryptography. This is expounded more to the standardization of PQC by NISTs and with a focus on such algorithms as CRYSTALS-Kyber and Dilithium. The findings suggest that, hybrid PQC protocols are able to control quantum resistance and actual performance in numerous infrastructures in computing systems.
The rapid advancement of quantum computing poses a critical threat to classical public-key cryptographic systems widely used in defense communication infrastructures, while the practical deployment of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) remains constrained by excessive key sizes, computational overhead, and energy consumption in bandwidth- and latency-sensitive military environments. This study aims to develop and evaluate a quantum-inspired multi-objective optimization framework to enhance the operational feasibility of standardized PQC schemes without compromising cryptographic security. The proposed method applies a Quantum Genetic Algorithm (QGA) to optimize configuration parameters of CRYSTALS-Kyber and CRYSTALS-Dilithium by simultaneously balancing security strength, computational performance, resource efficiency, and deployability. Experiments were conducted using official NIST test vectors and defense-oriented communication scenarios, with performance evaluated across encryption and signature latency, throughput, key and signature sizes, memory footprint, and energy consumption, while security was validated against classical and quantum attack models. The results demonstrate that the optimized configurations achieve key and signature size reductions of up to 10.3%, throughput improvements of up to 15.5%, and energy consumption reductions of up to 12.5% compared to baseline NIST implementations, while fully maintaining NIST security levels and robust resistance to quantum adversaries. These improvements significantly enhance the suitability of PQC for tactical radios, satellite communications, and resource-constrained defense platforms. The findings indicate that quantum-inspired multi-objective optimization is a critical enabler for transitioning post-quantum cryptography from theoretical security constructs to deployable, mission-ready solutions in real-world defense systems.
The threat of a cryptographically relevant quantum computer contributes to an increasing interest in the field of post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Compared to existing research efforts regarding the integration of PQC into the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol, industrial communication protocols have so far been neglected. Since industrial cyber-physical systems (CPS) are typically deployed for decades, protection against such long-term threats is needed. In this work, we propose two novel solutions for the integration of post-quantum (PQ) primitives (digital signatures and key establishment) into the industrial protocol Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA): a hybrid solution combining conventional cryptography with PQC and a solution solely based on PQC. Both approaches provide mutual authentication between client and server and are realized with certificates fully compliant to the X.509 standard. We implement the two solutions and measure and evaluate their performance across three different security levels. All selected algorithms (Kyber, Dilithium, and Falcon) are candidates for standardization by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). We show that Falcon is a suitable option – especially – when using floating-point hardware provided by our ARM-based evaluation platform. Our proposed hybrid solution provides PQ security for early adopters but comes with additional performance and communication requirements. Our solution solely based on PQC shows superior performance across all evaluated security levels in terms of handshake duration compared to conventional OPC UA but comes at the cost of increased handshake sizes. In addition to our performance evaluation, we provide a proof of security in the symbolic model for our two PQC-based variants of OPC UA. For this proof, we use the cryptographic protocol verifier ProVerif and formally verify confidentiality and authentication properties of our quantum-resistant variants.
As quantum computing advances, modern cryptographic standards face an existential threat, necessitating a transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC). The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has selected CRYSTALS-Kyber and CRYSTALS-Dilithium as standardized PQC algorithms for secure key exchange and digital signatures, respectively. This study conducts a comprehensive performance analysis of these algorithms by benchmarking execution times across cryptographic operations such as key generation, encapsulation, decapsulation, signing, and verification. Additionally, the impact of AVX2 optimizations is evaluated to assess hardware acceleration benefits. Our findings demonstrate that Kyber and Dilithium achieve efficient execution times, outperforming classical cryptographic schemes such as RSA and ECDSA at equivalent security levels. Beyond technical performance, the real-world deployment of PQC introduces challenges in telecommunications networks, where large-scale infrastructure upgrades, interoperability with legacy systems, and regulatory constraints must be addressed. This paper examines the feasibility of PQC adoption in telecom environments, highlighting key transition challenges, security risks, and implementation strategies. Through industry case studies, we illustrate how telecom operators are integrating PQC into 5G authentication, subscriber identity protection, and secure communications. Our analysis provides insights into the computational trade-offs, deployment considerations, and standardization efforts shaping the future of quantum-safe cryptographic infrastructure.
The advent of quantum computing poses significant challenges to traditional cryptographic systems, threatening the confidentiality, integrity and authenticity of digital communications. This paper investigates the integration of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) algorithms into mobile communication systems to address these challenges. The study focuses on evaluating key PQC algorithms shortlisted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), including CRYSTALS-Kyber, CRYSTALS-Dilithium, Falcon and SPHINCS+, within the context of 5G and future mobile network architectures. The research encompasses the design and implementation of an experimental framework involving mobile devices, servers, and cloud-based infrastructure to simulate real-world communication scenarios. Performance metrics such as key generation time, signature generation, encryption and decryption speed, and resource consumption were analyzed across various devices to identify algorithms suitable for mobile environments. The findings reveal that lattice-based algorithms, such as Kyber and Dilithium, offer a promising balance between security and efficiency, making them ideal for resource-constrained devices. In contrast, hash-based algorithms like SPHINCS+ exhibit higher computational demands, limiting their practicality in certain applications. This work highlights the importance of algorithm selection and hardware optimization in ensuring secure and efficient communications in the quantum era. By integrating theoretical advancements in PQC with practical applications, this research lays the foundation for quantum-resistant security in mobile networks, ensuring secure and future-ready digital communications.
The first comprehensive framework for deploying NIST-standardized post-quantum cryptography in military UAV systems, bridging the critical gap between theoretical PQC algorithms and practical implementation on resource-constrained drone platforms. We provide rigorous mathematical security proofs for lattice-based schemes (Kyber, Dilithium, Falcon, SPHINCS+) tailored to MAVLink protocol requirements, extensive performance benchmarking demonstrating <1% operational overhead on embedded military hardware, and four complete implementation architectures with working code. Our NATO-compliant security frameworks integrate STANAG requirements with PQC mandates—addressing a gap in existing civilian-focused literature. We validate our approach through an MQ-9 Reaper retrofit case study achieving zero mission degradation, providing the defense community with an actionable roadmap for transitioning military UAV fleets to quantum resistance before cryptographically-relevant quantum computers emerge (projected 2028-2033).