Abstract The evolution of quantum computers is considered a serious threat to public‐key cryptosystems (e.g. RSA, ECDSA, ECDH, etc.). This is indeed a big concern for security of the Internet and other data communication and storage systems. The reason is that public‐key schemes are the basis in the generation of shared symmetric keys that are used to perform data encryption/decryption in communication and data transfer protocols. One possible approach to address this issue is to use Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) (instead of public‐key schemes) for the ultra‐secure generation of symmetric keys. QKD is a physical layer technology that allows two parties (equipped with optical communication interfaces) to generate secure random keys over a quantum channel that is immune to eavesdropping threats. The keys are then used by symmetric encryption schemes (e.g. AES) to encrypt data over classical channels. This allows us to have data encryption/decryption without needing a public‐key scheme. However, due to its inherent characteristics, the implementation of QKD has mostly been considered in particular contexts only (e.g. backhaul networks, point‐to‐point connections, optical networks, etc.). This indeed limits the utility of QKD technology to only some particular applications while it has the potential to be used in a wide range of used cases. Motivated by this (increasing the usability of QKD technology), in this study, the authors propose a model that enables SDN‐based networks to utilise QKD technology and provide QKD security service (i.e., random key generation service) to network applications and security protocols in a practical and efficient way. In the proposed approach, secret keys are generated based on the distribution of quantum entanglement between QKD nodes deployed in the network. The significant characteristic of our proposed model is that it does not rely on quantum repeaters to operate. This also improves the efficiency of the employed QKD mechanisms in terms of the key generation rate.
Abstract The evolution of quantum computers is considered a serious threat to public‐key cryptosystems (e.g. RSA, ECDSA, ECDH, etc.). This is indeed a big concern for security of the Internet and other data communication and storage systems. The reason is that public‐key schemes are the basis in the generation of shared symmetric keys that are used to perform data encryption/decryption in communication and data transfer protocols. One possible approach to address this issue is to use Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) (instead of public‐key schemes) for the ultra‐secure generation of symmetric keys. QKD is a physical layer technology that allows two parties (equipped with optical communication interfaces) to generate secure random keys over a quantum channel that is immune to eavesdropping threats. The keys are then used by symmetric encryption schemes (e.g. AES) to encrypt data over classical channels. This allows us to have data encryption/decryption without needing a public‐key scheme. However, due to its inherent characteristics, the implementation of QKD has mostly been considered in particular contexts only (e.g. backhaul networks, point‐to‐point connections, optical networks, etc.). This indeed limits the utility of QKD technology to only some particular applications while it has the potential to be used in a wide range of used cases. Motivated by this (increasing the usability of QKD technology), in this study, the authors propose a model that enables SDN‐based networks to utilise QKD technology and provide QKD security service (i.e., random key generation service) to network applications and security protocols in a practical and efficient way. In the proposed approach, secret keys are generated based on the distribution of quantum entanglement between QKD nodes deployed in the network. The significant characteristic of our proposed model is that it does not rely on quantum repeaters to operate. This also improves the efficiency of the employed QKD mechanisms in terms of the key generation rate.
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is an emerging networking paradigm that decouples the control and data plane in order to enable programmable and flexible networks, optimizing its applications and advancing computer systems. It does so through its architecture, a key part of which is a centralized network management through open interfaces that revolutionizes the way in which networks are designed and makes them more agile and versatile to the evolving needs of modern and future applications services. This also means, however, that there is now a centralized point of attack that is a major vulnerability, threatening the security of the entire network. With such an advanced network paradigm, it requires a security system that will mitigate these risks and warrant long-term security. In attempts to allow secure communications within the network, this research proposes the implementation of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), leveraging quantum mechanics to secure the network against any computational advancements in the future. QKD is a recent cryptographic system that includes a traditional-computational channel and a physical-quantum channel to generate and distribute keys between parties. It uses the principles of quantum mechanics including entanglement and superposition to ensure that the physical layer cannot be compromised computationally. QKD provides confidentiality and privacy of information and communication. Moreover, it is resistant to technological advancements. The implications of QKD significantly enhance SDN security through its protection against attacks, efficient key distribution, reliable network orchestration, and data integrity, creating an architecture that establishes stable communication channels that are resistant to cyber threats.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is one of the major cryptographic solutions to tackle the security threats associated to future computational advances, in particular those coming from quantum computing. At the most simple level, QKD can be seen as a highly secure source of symmetric secret keys in two separated places. Nonetheless, the lack of standardization and the strong requirements from the physical layer makes this technology very difficult to integrate in existing infrastructure.However, the success of QKD networks radically depends on the degree in which they can be adopted in the existing infrastructure, and it is a must that it happens via standard protocols and interfaces. The flexibility of novel network paradigms, like Software-Defined Networking (SDN), allows for a faster adoption of new concepts, hardware and services in telecommunications networks. This paradigm can be used for quantum communications, allowing for a fast and scalable deployment of quantum technologies and services in the telecommunications network to a degree that was simply impossible in previous schemes, where the different network devices and their connections should be modified, one by one, to create a quantum communications channel.This tutorial provides an introduction to existing QKD technologies and networks, followed by a descriptive explanation on how SDN principles can be utilized to abstract and integrate QKD systems as part of the network management. This will help to reduce the time-to-market for quantum technologies, and also will make quantum cryptography available as a service to be capitalized by the network operators.
Today’s networks are quickly evolving toward more dynamic and flexible infrastructures and architectures. This software-based evolution has seen its peak with the development of the software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) paradigms. These new concepts allow operators to automate the setup of services, thus reducing costs in deploying and operating the required infrastructure. On the other hand, these novel paradigms expose new vulnerabilities, as critical information travels through the infrastructure from central offices, down to remote data centers and network devices. Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a state-of-the-art technology that can be seen as a source of symmetric keys in two separated domains. It is immune to any algorithmic cryptanalysis and is thus suitable for long-term security. This technology is based on the laws of physics, which forbids us from copying the quantum states exchanged between two endpoints from which a secret key can be extracted. Thus, even though it has some limitations, a correct implementation can deliver keys of the highest security. In this paper, we propose the integration of QKD systems with well-known protocols and methodologies to secure the network’s control plane in an SDN and NFV environment. Furthermore, we experimentally demonstrate a workflow where QKD keys are used together with classically generated keys to encrypt communications between cloud and SDN platforms for setting up a service via secure shell, while showcasing the applicability to other cryptographic protocols.
The growing dependence on digital communications underscores the need to protect data as it travels through the network. Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) plays a central role, providing a robust framework to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of transmitted data. However, advances in Quantum Computing pose a significant threat to current public-key cryptographic schemes by enabling efficient solutions to factoring and discrete logarithm problems. A promising solution also arises from the quantum domain. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) provides a security layer immune to any computational attacks, whether quantum or classical. While the rapid adoption of quantum-safe technologies is highly desirable, it is equally important to ensure the resilience of existing trusted infrastructures, as the introduction of novel technologies may also entail unforeseen challenges. Enabling an evolutionary path that brings our current security infrastructure to a quantum-safe one, protected against both present and future threats, is thus very important. This work proposes a solution that integrates emerging quantum technologies into the existing security and communications infrastructure to ensure long-term protection. We focus on IPsec —one of the most widely deployed security protocols— and combine it with Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and QKD to construct a novel network security infrastructure that is resilient against both classical and quantum computational threats. Building upon recent standardization initiatives and operational tools for QKD integration, we demonstrate advanced capabilities -including rekeying and secure key transport- on a field deployed QKD network operating within a shared quantum-classical production infrastructure.
Optical network security is attracting increasing research interest. Currently, software defined optical network (SDON) has been proposed to increase network intelligence, which is gradually moving towards industrialization. However, new threats are emerging, e.g., control messages transferred via the control channels are vulnerable to eavesdropping and interception. Data encryption is an effective way to enhance the security of connection as well as control messages transferred in SDON. Noticeably, quantum key distribution (QKD) is being considered as a secure mechanism to provision keys for confidential data encryption, which is a potential technique to protect communications from security attacks in SDONs. How to utilize QKD to enhance the SDON security is emerging as a new issue. This paper proposes a novel QKD-enabled SDON architecture, and discusses some open issues and challenges such as resource allocation, security level, trusted repeater node placement and resiliency under such an architecture. Moreover, this paper also proposes an algorithmic solution to resource allocation issue and describes some illustrative simulation results.
Currently many symmetric key cryptographic tools which are known to be quantum-safe. They all share Secret symmetric keys through an untrusted medium which is usually done with public key methods which are prone to quantum attacks. One among the recommended solutions to the key distribution problem is Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). QKD utilizes an authenticated Communication channel along with a quantum communication channel so that a secret key is generated. Whatever may be the protocol to implement proposed QKD, they all need both a quantum channel, and an authenticated classical. OTP (One Time Pad) is used when two parties wish to communications have to share a key called pad. This pad is a randomly generated key and the length of the key should be equal to the message so it can be sent. The proposed QKD parameters that result in almost 35.67% smaller keys for quantum security and an implementation of QKD in network which is publicly available and usable in practice.