Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Integration with Classical Cryptography for Enhanced End-to-End Security Authors

Weijia Xue, Wang Congli, Jingran Wang

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a promising technique for addressing quantum threats. To enable easy-to-use cryptographic services based on QKD, we designed a cryptosystem that integrates classical cryptographic systems with key generation and distribution using a QKD network. The proposed cryptosystem comprises a centrally deployed cryptography management service platform and distributed key management systems. The paper presents the functional modules, main processes, interface design, and security requirements of the cryptosystem. This cryptosystem provides a secure and efficient way to offer cryptographic services for various business applications, such as identity authentication, application authorization and point-to-point or group session key distribution. By integrating QKD with classical cryptosystems, this approach can improve the security of traditional cryptographic systems by using the random and unconditionally secure keys generated by QKD. Furthermore, combining QKD with classical cryptographic systems can enhance the scalability of QKD and provide more efficient and cost-effective solutions for large-scale cryptographic services.

Jeffrey D. Morris, Michael R. Grimaila, Douglas D. Hodson +2 more

Reza Azarderakhsh, Maryam Sadat Amiri Tehrani Zadeh

Yan Feng, Sijiang Xie, Nian Liu +1 more

The Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) network faces challenges in ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of quantum keys during the process of delivering quantum keys from the QKD network to the user application. To address these issues, a quantum key secure delivery scheme based on tickets is proposed. There are four types of tickets in the scheme: the user ticket, which is used for authenticating the identity of the user application; the access ticket, which is employed for granting access to the end-to-end key; and the publishing ticket and subscribing ticket, which are utilized for authorizing access to the group key. Additionally, a security mechanism based on symmetric cryptography for transmitting quantum keys is also proposed. It is used to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of key data when quantum keys are transferred from the QKD network to user applications. Security analysis indicates that this scheme can effectively resist common attacks such as impersonation and man in the middle. Furthermore, by employing Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS) to establish a secure channel for the interactions between the user application and the Quantum Key Service (QKS), this scheme provides dual protection for the quantum key delivery process. This approach effectively mitigates potential security threats and enhances the overall security of the process.

Ivan B. Djordjević

Pedro Otero-García, David Pérez-Castro, Manuel Fernández‐Veiga +1 more

The advancement of quantum computing threatens classical cryptographic methods, necessitating the development of secure quantum key distribution (QKD) solutions for QKD Networks (QKDN). In this paper, a novel key distribution protocol, Onion Routing Relay (ORR), that integrates onion routing (OR) with post-quantum cryptography (PQC) in a key-relay (KR) model is evaluated for QKDNs. This approach increases the security by enhancing confidentiality, integrity, authenticity (CIA principles), and anonymity in quantum-secure communications. By employing PQC-based encapsulation, ORR aims to avoid the security risks posed by intermediate malicious nodes and ensures end-to-end security. Our results show a competitive performance of the basic ORR model, against current KR and trusted-node (TN) approaches, demonstrating its feasibility and applicability in high-security environments maintaining a consistent Quality of Service (QoS). The results also show that while basic ORR incurs higher encryption overhead, it provides substantial security improvements without significantly impacting the overall key distribution time. Nevertheless, the introduction of an end-to-end authentication extension (ORR-Ext) has a significant impact on the Quality of Service (QoS), thereby limiting its suitability to applications with stringent security requirements.