Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

SYSTEM THEORY CONTROL AND COMPUTING JOURNAL

Post-Quantum Security Overview of the Public Key Infrastructure

Fruzsina Bene, Attila Kiss

Published Dec 31, 2023• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Recently, there has been an increasing focus on the investigation of quantum-safe solutions for a variety of applications. One of the pressing issues that needs to be made quantum secure is the TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol. Proposals for its implementation have been discussed in several articles. The TLS protocol is based on PKI (Public Key Infrastructure). In addition, there are many other PKI applications that are used every day in both private and enterprise environments, so securing their use is essential. The methods currently developed to ensure adequate security will become obsolete with the advent of quantum computers. According to the Cloud Security Alliance, by around 2030, the performance of quantum computers will increase to the point where the risk of vulnerability of traditionally encrypted data will be very high. It is therefore important to make the right preparations in time to ensure that we can transform our solutions into quantum secure solutions by the time quantum computing becomes a real threat. In this paper, we present an analysis to this end, presenting quantum-safe solutions already in use and, in comparison, proposing new, well-performing solutions for a quantum-resistant PKI.

DOI
10.52846/stccj.2023.3.2.55

Related papers

Public Key Infrastructure in the Post-Quantum Era

Fruzsina Bene, Attila Kiss

In the last few years the threat of quantum computers has become bigger and bigger. The fast computing of the quantum computers puts everything in danger that relies on classical cryptographic algorithms. The question of when a large-scale quantum computer will be built cannot be exactly answered yet. According to the Cloud Security Alliance at around 2030 the power of quantum computers will increase so that the risk for exposure of traditionally encrypted data will be very high. PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) relies on asymmetric cryptographic algorithms and is widely used in many fields. So it is important that it will be completely safe. The way to provide that is to change traditional cryptographic algorithms to post-quantum cryptography algorithms or hybrid solutions. To this, we review in this paper the basics of classical PKI and quantum cryptography methods and the threat of quantum computing for PKI. We present quantum-safe solutions already in use and recommend new, well-performing solutions for a quantum-resistant PKI by comparison.

IEEE International Symposium on Applied Computational Intelligence and Informatics (SACI)•May 23, 2023•15 citations

Post-Quantum PKI: A Survey of Applications and Benchmarking Practices

Maya Thabet, Antonia Tsili, Konstantinos Krilakis +1 more

Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is, and should be, currently dominating the field of cybersecurity, with many works designing and evaluating the transition of communications security to quantum-safe solutions. As the security level and implementations of post-quantum algorithms become more mature, the research on their application to realistic conditions changes accordingly, especially their application to widely adopted network architectures and corresponding protocols such as the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). In this survey, we identified articles presenting ways of integrating PQC algorithms to PKI and classified related work according to the employed methods and benchmarking choices. The main results from many evaluations converge to similar conclusions on the performance of the most popular PC digital signature algorithms; however, modeling choices concerning architecture variants, hardware and measurement metrics vary. The diversity of the results and experimental setups makes comparison difficult and arrival at an objective conclusion regarding PKI requirements almost impossible. Ultimately, this review reveals a fragmented landscape of benchmarking practices for post-quantum PKI systems. The absence of standardized evaluation frameworks and common test environments limits the comparability and reproducibility of the findings. We aim to provide reference implementations, which are essential to guide the transition of PKI infrastructures toward robust, scalable, and quantum-resistant deployments.

Cryptography•Feb 12, 2026•2 citations

A Comprehensive Review of Post-Quantum Cryptography Integration into Public Key Infrastructure: Challenges, Algorithms, and Future Directions

Godi Amulya, Siva Rama Krishna T

Development of Quantum Computers are growing rapidly, the security of today’s cryptographic systems which are working with Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is at serious risk. RSA and ECC algorithms are the backbone of secure communication and digital identity can be breakable by quantum algorithms such as Shor’s. Hence, a transition is required to Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), which is designed to handle quantum attacks. This work provides a detailed review of how PQC can be integrated with the existing PKI, with a special focus on the auto-enrollment process. Auto-enrollment is an essential process but often overlooked mechanism, responsible for automatically issuing and renewing digital certificates. First, we explored how current PKI systems are exposed to the quantum threats and the readiness. The performance of the algorithms that are standardized by NIST, such as Kyber and Dilithium were discussed. We analyze the technical and operational challenges of transitioning to PQC by referencing both research studies and real-world implementations from major industry players such as Google and Microsoft. These include large key size, certificate size, compatibility issues, complex computations and need for crypto-agility. We also examine the hybrid approaches that combine classical and post-quantum methods as traditional strategies. The survey concludes by outlining best practices, deployment considerations, and open research challenges that must be addressed for a smooth, secure, and scalable shift to quantum-safe PKI. This work aims to guide researchers, engineers, and policymakers in building the next generation of cryptographic infrastructure that can stand the test-time even in a quantum world.

IEEE International Conference on Emerging Computing and Intelligent Technologies (ICoECIT)•Jan 28, 2026•0 citations

Towards security recommendations for public-key infrastructures for production environments in the post-quantum era

Sergey E. Yunakovsky, Maxim Kot, N. O. Pozhar +7 more

Abstract Quantum computing technologies pose a significant threat to the currently employed public-key cryptography protocols. In this paper, we discuss the impact of the quantum threat on public key infrastructures (PKIs), which are used as a part of security systems for protecting production environments. We analyze security issues of existing models with a focus on requirements for a fast transition to post-quantum solutions. Although our primary focus is on the attacks with quantum computing, we also discuss some security issues that are not directly related to the used cryptographic algorithms but are essential for the overall security of the PKI. We attempt to provide a set of security recommendations regarding the PKI from the viewpoints of attacks with quantum computers.

arXiv:2105.01324•EPJ Quantum Technology•May 19, 2021•44 citations

Benchmarking hybrid quantum-safe cryptography over real-world infrastructures

Jaime S. Buruaga, Juan Pedro Brito Méndez, Vicente Martín Ayuso

Advances in quantum computing pose a significant threat to the widely used Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). The two leading technologies to address this challenge are Post-Quantum Cryptography and Quantum Key Distribution. A promising approach is the hybridization of these technologies - combining their respective strengths while mitigating their limitations - and integrating them with the cryptographic mechanisms used today to enhance crypto-agility and facilitate transitioning to a quantum-safe infrastructure. However, changing current network protocols to quantum-safe alternatives is not just a matter of security: their efficiency and scalability must also be demonstrated within real-world telecommunications infrastructures to ensure their practical adoption. In this work, we present the first long-running test with detailed measurements of a suite of hybrid quantum-safe protocols that integrate classical cryptography, PQC, and QKD within a production environment (MadQCI). Using standardized protocols and interfaces and employing Transport Layer Security (TLS) as the base protocol for real-world comparison, this study demonstrates the efficiency and scalability of the proposed solution in deployed heterogeneous networks. These results mark a significant step towards the widespread adoption of quantum-safe hybrid protocols and contribute to clarifying the path toward their future standardization in next-generation telecommunications networks.

•May 15, 2026•0 citations

Benchmarking hybrid quantum-safe cryptography over real-world infrastructures

Jaime S. Buruaga, Juan P. Brito, Vicente Martín

Abstract Advances in quantum computing pose a significant threat to the widely used Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). The two leading technologies to address this challenge are Post-Quantum Cryptography and Quantum Key Distribution. A promising approach is the hybridization of these technologies - combining their respective strengths while mitigating their limitations - and integrating them with the cryptographic mechanisms used today to enhance crypto-agility and facilitate transitioning to a quantum-safe infrastructure. However, changing current network protocols to quantum-safe alternatives is not just a matter of security: their efficiency and scalability must also be demonstrated within real-world telecommunications infrastructures to ensure their practical adoption. In this work, we present the first long-running test with detailed measurements of a suite of hybrid quantum-safe protocols that integrate classical cryptography, PQC, and QKD within a production environment (MadQCI). Using standardized protocols and interfaces and employing Transport Layer Security (TLS) as the base protocol for real-world comparison, this study demonstrates the efficiency and scalability of the proposed solution in deployed heterogeneous networks. These results mark a significant step towards the widespread adoption of quantum-safe hybrid protocols and contribute to clarifying the path toward their future standardization in next-generation telecommunications networks.

EPJ Quantum Technology•May 15, 2026•0 citations
Recently, there has been an increasing focus on the investigation of quantum-safe solutions for a variety of applications. One of the pressing issues that needs to be made quantum secure is the TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol. Proposals for its implementation have been discussed in several articles. The TLS protocol is based on PKI (Public Key Infrastructure). In addition, there are many other PKI applications that are used every day in both private and enterprise environments, so securing their use is essential. The methods currently developed to ensure adequate security will become obsolete with the advent of quantum computers. According to the Cloud Security Alliance, by around 2030, the performance of quantum computers will increase to the point where the risk of vulnerability of traditionally encrypted data will be very high. It is therefore important to make the right preparations in time to ensure that we can transform our solutions into quantum secure solutions by the time quantum computing becomes a real threat. In this paper, we present an analysis to this end, presenting quantum-safe solutions already in use and, in comparison, proposing new, well-performing solutions for a quantum-resistant PKI.
In the last few years the threat of quantum computers has become bigger and bigger. The fast computing of the quantum computers puts everything in danger that relies on classical cryptographic algorithms. The question of when a large-scale quantum computer will be built cannot be exactly answered yet. According to the Cloud Security Alliance at around 2030 the power of quantum computers will increase so that the risk for exposure of traditionally encrypted data will be very high. PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) relies on asymmetric cryptographic algorithms and is widely used in many fields. So it is important that it will be completely safe. The way to provide that is to change traditional cryptographic algorithms to post-quantum cryptography algorithms or hybrid solutions. To this, we review in this paper the basics of classical PKI and quantum cryptography methods and the threat of quantum computing for PKI. We present quantum-safe solutions already in use and recommend new, well-performing solutions for a quantum-resistant PKI by comparison.
Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is, and should be, currently dominating the field of cybersecurity, with many works designing and evaluating the transition of communications security to quantum-safe solutions. As the security level and implementations of post-quantum algorithms become more mature, the research on their application to realistic conditions changes accordingly, especially their application to widely adopted network architectures and corresponding protocols such as the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). In this survey, we identified articles presenting ways of integrating PQC algorithms to PKI and classified related work according to the employed methods and benchmarking choices. The main results from many evaluations converge to similar conclusions on the performance of the most popular PC digital signature algorithms; however, modeling choices concerning architecture variants, hardware and measurement metrics vary. The diversity of the results and experimental setups makes comparison difficult and arrival at an objective conclusion regarding PKI requirements almost impossible. Ultimately, this review reveals a fragmented landscape of benchmarking practices for post-quantum PKI systems. The absence of standardized evaluation frameworks and common test environments limits the comparability and reproducibility of the findings. We aim to provide reference implementations, which are essential to guide the transition of PKI infrastructures toward robust, scalable, and quantum-resistant deployments.
Development of Quantum Computers are growing rapidly, the security of today’s cryptographic systems which are working with Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is at serious risk. RSA and ECC algorithms are the backbone of secure communication and digital identity can be breakable by quantum algorithms such as Shor’s. Hence, a transition is required to Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), which is designed to handle quantum attacks. This work provides a detailed review of how PQC can be integrated with the existing PKI, with a special focus on the auto-enrollment process. Auto-enrollment is an essential process but often overlooked mechanism, responsible for automatically issuing and renewing digital certificates. First, we explored how current PKI systems are exposed to the quantum threats and the readiness. The performance of the algorithms that are standardized by NIST, such as Kyber and Dilithium were discussed. We analyze the technical and operational challenges of transitioning to PQC by referencing both research studies and real-world implementations from major industry players such as Google and Microsoft. These include large key size, certificate size, compatibility issues, complex computations and need for crypto-agility. We also examine the hybrid approaches that combine classical and post-quantum methods as traditional strategies. The survey concludes by outlining best practices, deployment considerations, and open research challenges that must be addressed for a smooth, secure, and scalable shift to quantum-safe PKI. This work aims to guide researchers, engineers, and policymakers in building the next generation of cryptographic infrastructure that can stand the test-time even in a quantum world.
Abstract Quantum computing technologies pose a significant threat to the currently employed public-key cryptography protocols. In this paper, we discuss the impact of the quantum threat on public key infrastructures (PKIs), which are used as a part of security systems for protecting production environments. We analyze security issues of existing models with a focus on requirements for a fast transition to post-quantum solutions. Although our primary focus is on the attacks with quantum computing, we also discuss some security issues that are not directly related to the used cryptographic algorithms but are essential for the overall security of the PKI. We attempt to provide a set of security recommendations regarding the PKI from the viewpoints of attacks with quantum computers.
Advances in quantum computing pose a significant threat to the widely used Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). The two leading technologies to address this challenge are Post-Quantum Cryptography and Quantum Key Distribution. A promising approach is the hybridization of these technologies - combining their respective strengths while mitigating their limitations - and integrating them with the cryptographic mechanisms used today to enhance crypto-agility and facilitate transitioning to a quantum-safe infrastructure. However, changing current network protocols to quantum-safe alternatives is not just a matter of security: their efficiency and scalability must also be demonstrated within real-world telecommunications infrastructures to ensure their practical adoption. In this work, we present the first long-running test with detailed measurements of a suite of hybrid quantum-safe protocols that integrate classical cryptography, PQC, and QKD within a production environment (MadQCI). Using standardized protocols and interfaces and employing Transport Layer Security (TLS) as the base protocol for real-world comparison, this study demonstrates the efficiency and scalability of the proposed solution in deployed heterogeneous networks. These results mark a significant step towards the widespread adoption of quantum-safe hybrid protocols and contribute to clarifying the path toward their future standardization in next-generation telecommunications networks.
Abstract Advances in quantum computing pose a significant threat to the widely used Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). The two leading technologies to address this challenge are Post-Quantum Cryptography and Quantum Key Distribution. A promising approach is the hybridization of these technologies - combining their respective strengths while mitigating their limitations - and integrating them with the cryptographic mechanisms used today to enhance crypto-agility and facilitate transitioning to a quantum-safe infrastructure. However, changing current network protocols to quantum-safe alternatives is not just a matter of security: their efficiency and scalability must also be demonstrated within real-world telecommunications infrastructures to ensure their practical adoption. In this work, we present the first long-running test with detailed measurements of a suite of hybrid quantum-safe protocols that integrate classical cryptography, PQC, and QKD within a production environment (MadQCI). Using standardized protocols and interfaces and employing Transport Layer Security (TLS) as the base protocol for real-world comparison, this study demonstrates the efficiency and scalability of the proposed solution in deployed heterogeneous networks. These results mark a significant step towards the widespread adoption of quantum-safe hybrid protocols and contribute to clarifying the path toward their future standardization in next-generation telecommunications networks.