In our interconnected society, effective group communication is crucial for facilitating the efficient and secure interchange of data between multiple endpoints, particularly within the complex landscapes of the IoTs and sensor networks. Group Key Management (GKM) arises as a fundamental element for ensuring safety amidst these complexities. However, the emergence of quantum computers has sparked worries about the vulnerability of current GKM schemes that depend on asymmetric cryptography, also known as public-key cryptography. This study investigates post-quantum GKM schemes, concentrating on their integration in the IoT context and addressing the underexplored field of GKM in the context of quantum computing advancements. By examining the security features of GKM protocols, particularly in relation to their resistance to quantum attacks, this study not only identifies current challenges but also outlines a path for future research directions, posing light on potential pathways in this changing landscape.
In our interconnected society, effective group communication is crucial for facilitating the efficient and secure interchange of data between multiple endpoints, particularly within the complex landscapes of the IoTs and sensor networks. Group Key Management (GKM) arises as a fundamental element for ensuring safety amidst these complexities. However, the emergence of quantum computers has sparked worries about the vulnerability of current GKM schemes that depend on asymmetric cryptography, also known as public-key cryptography. This study investigates post-quantum GKM schemes, concentrating on their integration in the IoT context and addressing the underexplored field of GKM in the context of quantum computing advancements. By examining the security features of GKM protocols, particularly in relation to their resistance to quantum attacks, this study not only identifies current challenges but also outlines a path for future research directions, posing light on potential pathways in this changing landscape.
The potential of quantum computing to compromise traditional public-key cryptography (PKC) has led to a pressing need for more efficient and resilient cryptographic methods. Recent advancements, such as the 800x improvement in the logical error rate by Microsoft and QUANTINUUM, underscore the urgency of this issue. Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) offers a promising solution designed to withstand quantum attacks. This paper examines how PQC and other advanced cryptographic techniques can enhance the security and efficiency of PKC in the quantum era. Current PKC methods, despite revolutionizing secure online communication, are vulnerable to flaws in their underlying algorithms. The proposed hybrid model integrates PQC with traditional PKC, leveraging both technologies' strengths to mitigate quantum threats while preserving established security benefits. The investigation addresses critical research questions: how to enhance PKC key management for better efficiency and security, and which PQC techniques can protect PKC from quantum attacks. This paper's contribution includes identifying vulnerabilities in existing PKC, comparing RSA and post-quantum algorithms, and implementing a PQC algorithm between a client and server to analyze integration with existing protocols. Finally, the paper recommends security mechanisms to improve PQC protocols, ensuring robust protection against emerging quantum computing capabilities.
The advent of quantum computing technology has transformed computing technologies into a machine with higher computing power. However, this has also introduced vulnerability challenges, as traditional cryptographic systems are prone to vulnerability to cyber threats, particularly in the context of the IoT. This paper presents a systematic literature survey of the landscape of postquantum cryptographic systems and their impact on the security of connected systems. The paper has explored various key encapsulation mechanisms that are resistant to quantum attacks, existing post-quantum standards, and assessed their applicability in the IoT environments and implementation challenges. The paper highlighted some of the limitations for adopting post-quantum cryptography due to limited existing standards which can be used to enforce the confidentiality, integrity, security, and privacy of data transmitted particularly by IoT connected devices.
The rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has revolutionized digital communication, yet it simultaneously poses unprecedented security challenges due to constrained device capabilities and increasing cyber threats. Conventional cryptographic techniques, while currently effective, are vulnerable to emerging quantum computing technologies that threaten to render classical encryption obsolete. This paper explores the integration of quantum-safe cryptographic techniques within IoT networks to ensure long-term confidentiality, integrity, and authentication. It examines post-quantum cryptographic primitives, including lattice-based, hash-based, multivariate, and code-based schemes, and evaluates their suitability for resource-constrained IoT environments. The study focuses on lightweight implementation strategies, balancing computational efficiency with robust security requirements. Simulation analyses demonstrate that properly optimized quantum safe protocols can provide resilient encryption, key exchange, and digital signature functionalities without overwhelming device resources. Furthermore, the integration of these techniques with IoT communication standards and secure network protocols ensures end-to-end protection across heterogeneous networks. Challenges such as latency, energy consumption, and scalability are addressed, highlighting the necessity of tailored cryptographic solutions for diverse IoT applications. The findings confirm that quantum safe cryptography is essential for future-proofing IoT networks, offering sustainable security measures that remain resilient against both classical and quantum adversaries, thereby supporting the continued expansion of secure and intelligent interconnected systems.
The rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) has introduced significant security challenges, especially in safeguarding sensitive data transmitted across vast networks. Traditional cryptographic methods, though widely used, face increasing vulnerabilities in light of advancements in quantum computing. This research explores the application of quantum cryptography, particularly Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), to secure data transmission in IoT networks. Quantum cryptography offers a revolutionary approach by utilizing the principles of quantum mechanics, ensuring communication channels are resistant to eavesdropping and quantum attacks. Despite its promise, integrating quantum cryptography into resource-constrained IoT environments presents several technical challenges. This paper examines current quantum cryptographic techniques, their feasibility for IoT applications, and proposed solutions for overcoming integration hurdles. Case studies of real-world implementations and experimental results are discussed to highlight the effectiveness of these methods. The findings suggest that quantum cryptography, while still in its infancy for IoT, has the potential to provide robust security solutions in future networks.
This research examines quantum cryptography techniques paired with IoT security approaches to explain how quantum technology optimizes device protection within interconnected networks. Existing encryption methods struggle to protect the ever-growing IoT networks against their extensive security weaknesses. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) stands as an innovative solution in quantum cryptography because it provides secure key transfer on untrustworthy channels. Technical constraints and legal framework standards along with scalability issues continue to pose obstacles to the advancement of quantum technology systems. The article outlines lines of upcoming investigation about post-quantum cryptographic algorithm optimization and hybrid encryption method creation which combines classical with quantum resistance approaches. The study highlights the imperative need for developing enhanced security protocols to defend IoT systems from current as well as future security risks.
The rapid deployment of Internet of Things (IoT) devices across critical infrastructure’s sectors such as healthcare, transportation, and smart cities brings unprecedented security challenges; particularly as quantum computing threatens the classical cryptography. This systematic review analyzes IoT security in relation to post-quantum cryptography (PQC), highlighting vulnerabilities, evolving threat, and cryptographic countermeasures. Using the PRISMA 2020 protocol, our work employed a rigorous and reproducible search strategy, where the initial Boolean query, ((“IoT” OR “Internet of Things”) AND (“Cryptography” OR “Encryption Scheme”) AND “Quantum”), was developed and effectively customized for nine reputable databases to maximize the coverage. From an initial pool of 5,151 publications dated between 2020 and February 12, 2025, a content-based screening was conducted at the title, abstract, and full-text levels. This meticulous filtering resulted in a final corpus of 161 studies deemed relevant for in-depth analysis and synthesis. Then, we categorize and analyze PQC algorithms by vulnerabilities, suitability for resource-constrained IoT environments, performance evaluation, scalability, and quantum resilience. We also identify key limitations in implementations of current cryptographic schemes, including issues in key management and authentication; and outline major challenges such as resource constraints of IoT devices, environmental noise, quantum reversible computing, security vulnerabilities, quantum hardware constraints, and complexities in integration. To counter these threats, we propose a framework of PQC countermeasures and illustrated by a hypothetical case study of PQC adoption in a real-world IoT system. Finally, we propose future research directions in lightweight PQC, hybrid frameworks, improved key management and distribution, addressing quantum distance matters, countering quantum threats, and standardization for IoT environments.