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Quantum Information Processing

A secure authenticated semi-quantum key distribution scheme for semi-quantum environments

Chi‐Tung Chen, Cheng‐Chi Lee

Published Dec 18, 2024• 6 citations
Publisher
DOI
10.1007/s11128-024-04618-0

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The operation of smart grids relies on the bidirectional flow of unicast and multicast (broadcast) information, and their security is typically ensured by authentication key agreement mechanisms based on classical cryptography. However, quantum algorithms threaten this security foundation. Existing semi-quantum authentication schemes fail to address the dual requirements of multicast and unicast keys for regionalized flexible management, nor do they balance the quantum burden on resource-constrained endpoints with authentication security in physical environments. To this end, this paper proposes a semi-quantum authentication and dual-key agreement scheme (SQADKA). It employs parallel distribution of a d -dimensional n -particle entangled system to generate a shared multicast key, while embedding random states within a single communication for two-factor authentication and unicast key generation. The multicast key can be used for broadcasting regional commands, while the unicast key protects private data exchange between smart meters and the neighborhood area network. Smart meters configured as classical users with two-factor authentication achieve quantum-enhanced security without complex quantum operations. Considering the dynamic membership of SGs, SQADKA allows SMs to join or leave a group while ensuring multicast key security. Additionally, the security of SQADKA has been analyzed through formal and informal security analyses. This scheme’s logic is verified and the comparison demonstrates advantages over similar schemes in terms of security, qubit efficiency, and communication complexity.
In 2021, Chang et al. proposed an authenticated semi-quantum key-distribution (ASQKD) protocol using single photons and an authenticated channel. However, an eavesdropper can launch a reflective attack to forge the receiver’s identity without being detected. In addition, Chang et al.’s ASQKD protocol assumes an authenticated classical channel between the sender and the receiver. It is considered illogical to have an authenticated channel in the ASQKD protocol. If these security issues are not addressed, the ASQKD protocol will fail to deliver the secret key. Therefore, this study proposes an efficient and secure ASQKD protocol to circumvent these problems using only single photons. Security analysis proves that the proposed ASQKD protocol can effectively avoid reflecting attacks, collective attacks, and other typical attacks. Compared with the existing ASQKD protocols, this study has the following advantages: based on a single photon, it demands less advanced quantum devices, the communication efficiency is higher than most protocols, it reduces the length of the required pre-shared keys, endures reflecting attacks, collective attacks, and there is no need for the classical channel.
In 2019, Wen et al. proposed authenticated semi-quantum key distribution (ASQKD) for identity and message using the teleportation of W states and GHZ-like states without pre-shared keys. However, the ASQKD protocol presents a vital issue in the teleportation of W states owing to its inappropriate design. Bob recovers the teleported W states without obtaining the position of the corresponding photons and then returns the recovered photons back to Alice. Hence, the teleportation of W states in Wen et al.'s ASQKD protocol was malfunctioning. Moreover, Wen et al.'s ASQKD protocol requires quantum memory, which strongly disobeys the definition of semi-quantum proposed by Boyer et al. Therefore, in this study, we discover the flaws of Wen et al.'s ASQKD protocol and propose an authenticated semi-quantum key distribution protocol. When compared to Wen et al.'s ASQKD protocol, the proposed ASQKD protocol has the following advantages: legal semi-quantum environment (i.e., does not require quantum memory), reduced quantum hardware requirement (i.e., based only on W states), does not involve classical cryptography (i.e., the hash function), and provided 1.6 times higher qubit efficiency.