Image encryption is an essential field between computer vision and security which aims to protect the image before future attacks. Nowadays, it is threatened by quantum computers, which can break some classical cryptography. The encryption system has been upgraded from quantum key exchange protocol to post-quantum key-establishment mechanisms, but they are not explicitly designed for the image encryption task. In this paper, we propose a hybrid quantum-classical theoretical framework and its instance AKQ system which is more secure and suitable in the post-quantum era.
Image encryption is an essential field between computer vision and security which aims to protect the image before future attacks. Nowadays, it is threatened by quantum computers, which can break some classical cryptography. The encryption system has been upgraded from quantum key exchange protocol to post-quantum key-establishment mechanisms, but they are not explicitly designed for the image encryption task. In this paper, we propose a hybrid quantum-classical theoretical framework and its instance AKQ system which is more secure and suitable in the post-quantum era.
The classical encryption systems are shrouded in darkness with the so-rapid development of the methods of computing and the innovation of quantum computer. Classical cryptographic protocols such as RSA, AES and ECC have been on the data security programs over years and their resistance against any classical attack is well known. Nonetheless, these new algorithms are getting more threatened when quantum threats exist which can take advantage of the mathematical structures on which traditional cryptography has been developed. We provide an in-depth comparison of the classical vs post-quantum encryption algorithms speed, computation difficulty, scalability and degree to which they are susceptible to quantum attacks. The summary also encompasses both post-quantum, lattice breaking procedures and assaults to code-based and hash-based cryptographic structures. The experimental results and theoretical analysis both demonstrate the trade-off of security strength, key size, implicit execution complexity of both paradigms. These results can be used to inform the construction of highly sought after hybrid cryptographic protocols that guarantee data confidentiality along with integrity when classical and quantum machines are present.
The accelerated advancements in quantum computing substantially threaten classical cryptographic systems, particularly those that rely on RSA, ECC, and other public key encryption methods. Particularly Shor's method shows how easily conventional cryptographic techniques might be broken; therefore quick development of quantum resistant substitutes is necessary. Rising as a potential answer with cryptographic algorithms meant to resist quantum attacks is post quantum cryptography (PQC). Nonetheless, performance trade-offs, compatibility problems, and the absence of standardized implementations make the shift to completely quantum-safe cryptographic systems very difficult. Hybrid PQC systems that combine conventional and quantum resistant cryptographic mechanisms have been suggested as a workable method for tackling these difficulties so guaranteeing security in the post quantum future. Emphasizing their security, performance, and practical implementations, this review article offers a thorough study of hybrid PQC methods. The resistance of many hybrid cryptographic models including lattice-based, code-based, and multivariate cryptographic techniques against quantum attacks is comprehensively investigated in this work methodologically, we review current PQC hybrid models, evaluate their computing efficiency, and examine security criteria grounded on recent research and standardizing initiatives like those under NIST. Our results show that hybrid PQC models create difficulties in terms of key management, computational overhead, and implementation complexity even if they improve security by reducing risks related with both conventional and quantum attacks. A comparative study shows among several hybrid systems the trade-offs in terms of encryption speed, key sizes, and resource use. Moreover showing the feasibility of PQC hybridizing in IoT, cloud computing, and block chain security are pragmatic uses of PQC hybridizing in which case appropriate protocols are needed for broad acceptance. At last, our work emphasizes the significant contribution hybrid PQC models provide in the transitional period producing a quantum secure environment. To enable basic integration into the present digital infrastructure, future research should focus on improving the efficiency of hybrid cryptosystems, optimizing key exchange mechanisms, and regulating standardization concerns. The findings of this study support the present discussion on post quantum security and provide data for academics and corporate leaders aiming for the next generation of cryptographic solutions. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17873992
The Hybrid approach in Quantum Cryptography creates adaptable security model which provides the safest Communication in the emerging quantum era. The development of quantum computing raise questions about the long-term security. Traditional algorithms, such as RSA, ECC, and Diffie-Hellman, which is seemed computationally secure but it can be effectively solved by quantum algorithms such as Shor's and Grover's. This problem leads to the origination of two key trends in current studies, namely Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), designing mathematical approaches to encryption resistant to quantum attacks; Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) using the principles of quantum mechanics to assure security in communications. Accordingly, this research proposes a hybrid security framework including reliable data encryption and authentication using PQC, combined with the safe key- exchange method of QKD. The model is implemented in Python, Qiskit, and PQClean's Kyber and Dilithium algorithms to show how these two paradigms can cooperate toward quantum- resilient communication. To present the system performance, key exchange efficiency, computational overhead, and security strength have been considered. According to the results, this hybrid approach gives superior defense against quantum threats while maintaining practical effectiveness for real-world applications such as cloud security, 6G networks, and the Internet of Things.
In today’s world more and more electronic devices are connected through the channel “internet”. To secure these devices, designers rely on cryptographic standards that provide encryption, authentication and data-integrity. However, future advances in quantum computing threaten the security of these standards as they are predicted to break the underlying hard mathematical problems. It is therefore of the utmost importance to find new standards that are safe against quantum computers. The design and analysis of such quantum-safe algorithms is studied in the field of many post-quantum encryption schemes are subject to decryption failures. This means that even after a proper execution of the algorithm, there is a (very small) chance that the message or key is not transmitted correctly. It simply led like that decryption failures lead to a new attack vector in which failing cipher texts are assembled and used to reconstruct the secret key. To secure the connected devices and data the method of Post Quantum Cryptography will plays a vital role. Post Quantum Cryptography improves the security proof bound on decryption failure attacks.
The fast development of cyber communications, multimedia distribution, remote working have promoted the demand to transmit sensitive information through secure means in both the public and the private networks. The advent of massive quantum computers is rendering traditional cryptographic algorithms like RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) insecure because they can crack the classical public-key algorithms like the Shor and Grover algorithms. This brings an immediate need of hybrid cryptographic systems, which integrate classical, quantum, and post-quantum algorithms to provide confidentiality, integrity, authentication, and future security beyond the quantum threat horizon.The paper is a proposal of a Hybrid Quantum-Post-Quantum Cryptographic Framework of transmitting files safely. It starts by aggregating files, which is a process to compress several files, images, videos, and multimedia files that users have chosen into one file to minimize redundancy and ease encryption. The AES-256 encrypted file is in GCM mode and provides confidentiality and integrity of the compressed file.The dual-layer mechanism ensures key establishment security. To begin with, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) based on the protocols of BB84/E91 allows the Sender and the Receiver to generate a Quantum Secret Key (QSK) by exchanging quantum bits in quantum channel. Constant monitoring of the error rate facilitates automatic eavesdropping detection, and guarantees the keys generation is made when the conditions are secure, as well as the safeguarding of interception and man-in-the-middle attacks.A post-quantum layer is provided to ensure long-term security against quantum cryptanalysis, which uses Kyber, a NIST-approved lattice-based Key Encapsulation Mechanism (KEM). The Receiver creates a key pair of Kyber and disseminates the public key to the Sender. By using encapsulation, the Sender gets a PQC ciphertext and a Shared Secret (SS), with decapsulation on the Receiver side giving ensure that only participants of good faith get the same secret value.The hybridization phase consists of combining the QSK of QKD and SS of Kyber with the help of HKDF-SHA256 to obtain a Final Wrap Key (FWK). AES-GCM encrypts the key of file encryption by wrapping it with FWK which allows a secure and authenticated transfer of the key. The Sender sends four messages: encrypted file, Kyber ciphertext, wrapped AES key and the initialisation vector. At Receiver end, FWK is calculated once again with the help of QSK and SS so that the original data can be decrypted with the help of AES key.The suggested framework provides a defense-in-depth solution based on the combination of quantum security, post-quantum resilience and authenticated symmetric encryption. It can be analyzed that there is a strong resistance to classical and quantum adversaries, scalability, and compatibility with the existing communication networks. This renders the model to be appropriate to secure government communication, military systems, data exchange in healthcare environments, cloud storage and financial infrastructures. Keywords— Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), Kyber,Key Encapsulation Mechanism (KEM), HKDF-SHA256, Quantum Secret Key (QSK), GCM Mode.
Quantum Cryptography (QC) is a newer method of ultra-secure key transmission that relies more on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocols. On the contrary, Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) is concerned about the high-security encryption of data that uses algorithms like the Kyber algorithm. However, both face unique challenges: QC requires costly QKD hardware, offers limited scalability due to point-to-point communication, and is vulnerable to physical attacks like side-channel and denial-of-service exploits, while PQC is resource-intensive, prone to latency issues, and faces uncertainties regarding future quantum algorithms that may compromise its security. Some challenges that QC and PQC face are overcome by merging both of them for the hybrid approach. This review explores synergy between QC and PQC, proposing a hybrid solution for combining QKD-based secure key exchange with the PQC quantum-resistant encryption capability. This integration delivers robust, future-proof communication with protection against both classical and quantum threats.