The rapid integration of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) into healthcare systems raises urgent demands for secure communication mechanisms capable of protecting sensitive patient data. Quantum key agreement (QKA), a collaborative approach to key generation based on quantum principles, provides an attractive alternative to traditional quantum key distribution (QKD), as it eliminates dependence on a trusted authority and ensures equal participation from all users. QKA demonstrates particular suitability for IoMT’s decentralized medical networks by eliminating trusted authority dependence while ensuring equitable participation among all participants. This addresses fundamental challenges where centralized trust models introduce vulnerabilities and asymmetric access patterns that compromise egalitarian principles essential for medical data sharing. However, practical QKA applications in IoMT remain limited, particularly for schemes that avoid complex entanglement operations and authenticated classical channels. Among the few QKA protocols employing Grover’s search algorithm (GSA), existing proposals potentially suffer from limitations in fairness and security. In this paper, the author proposes an improved GSA-based QKA protocol that ensures fairness, security, and correctness without requiring an authenticated classical communication channel. The proposed scheme guarantees that each participant’s input equally contributes to the final key, preventing manipulation by any user subgroup. The scheme combines Grover’s algorithm with the decoy photon technique to ensure secure quantum transmission. Security analysis confirms resistance to external attacks, including intercept-resend, entanglement probes, and device-level exploits, as well as insider threats such as parameter manipulation. Fairness is achieved through a symmetric protocol design rooted in quantum mechanical principles. Efficiency evaluation shows a theoretical efficiency of approximately 25%, while eliminating the need for quantum memory. These results position the proposed protocol as a practical and scalable solution for future secure quantum communication systems, particularly within distributed IoMT environments.
The rapid integration of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) into healthcare systems raises urgent demands for secure communication mechanisms capable of protecting sensitive patient data. Quantum key agreement (QKA), a collaborative approach to key generation based on quantum principles, provides an attractive alternative to traditional quantum key distribution (QKD), as it eliminates dependence on a trusted authority and ensures equal participation from all users. QKA demonstrates particular suitability for IoMT’s decentralized medical networks by eliminating trusted authority dependence while ensuring equitable participation among all participants. This addresses fundamental challenges where centralized trust models introduce vulnerabilities and asymmetric access patterns that compromise egalitarian principles essential for medical data sharing. However, practical QKA applications in IoMT remain limited, particularly for schemes that avoid complex entanglement operations and authenticated classical channels. Among the few QKA protocols employing Grover’s search algorithm (GSA), existing proposals potentially suffer from limitations in fairness and security. In this paper, the author proposes an improved GSA-based QKA protocol that ensures fairness, security, and correctness without requiring an authenticated classical communication channel. The proposed scheme guarantees that each participant’s input equally contributes to the final key, preventing manipulation by any user subgroup. The scheme combines Grover’s algorithm with the decoy photon technique to ensure secure quantum transmission. Security analysis confirms resistance to external attacks, including intercept-resend, entanglement probes, and device-level exploits, as well as insider threats such as parameter manipulation. Fairness is achieved through a symmetric protocol design rooted in quantum mechanical principles. Efficiency evaluation shows a theoretical efficiency of approximately 25%, while eliminating the need for quantum memory. These results position the proposed protocol as a practical and scalable solution for future secure quantum communication systems, particularly within distributed IoMT environments.
The classic methods of encryption and ciphering techniques have a major threat due to the rapid growth of quantum computing. This is particularly true for the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) where sensitive patients’ data needs to be protected in terms of confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. RSA and ECC serve as two examples of public key cryptographic algorithms that are highly vulnerable to quantum attacks especially the Shor’s and Grover’s algorithm. In the context of resource constrained IoMT systems, this thesis proposes a new hash-based hybrid cryptographic algorithm that is resilient to post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) attacks. In order to achieve resistance against quantum threats the proposed method uses hash-based digital signatures such as XMSS, SPHINCS+, or symmetric encryption like AES-256 with higher key sizes. In the Qiskit environment (Python, Anaconda Navigator, and Jupyter Notebook), Grover’s algorithm is modeled to simulate quantum threats. The proposed method is tested through quantum circuit analysis to evaluate their robustness. Our results will prove that the hybrid scheme, while remaining lightweight and suitable for real-time medical applications, significantly lowers the efficiency gains of quantum attacks. The proposed method will bridge the gap between the theoretical world of PQC and the practical world of IoMT networks, improving the long-term security and trust in critical healthcare systems.
Abstract In the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), sensors automatically collect data and transmit it to hospital servers, where doctors provide professional medical advice. The emergence of IoMT has significantly reduced the burden on chronic-disease patients and improved their life security. However, the transmission of patients’ medical data still faces serious confidentiality and integrity risks. This paper proposes a novel healthcare-system architecture that integrates a controlled-authentication semi-quantum key-negotiation (SQKN) protocol, leveraging the unconditional security of quantum cryptography to mitigate potential data attacks. The hospital server acts as a trusted controller that supervises every protocol run and authenticates all participants, which effectively thwarts man-in-the-middle and identity-spoofing attacks. The semi-quantum design further minimizes the quantum-device burden on patients’ side. Experimental simulation under realistic noise (QBER ≈ 0.03 at 0.02/0.04 noise level, 3 000 shots) shows the protocol keeps the quantum-bit error rate below 3 %, while the overall key-generation efficiency reaches 92 %, demonstrating that the scheme resists known attacks and maintains high quantum efficiency for safeguarding IoMT data security.
ABSTRACT Objective To design a secure Federated Learning (FL) framework for Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) that protects sensitive patient data from both classical and quantum attacks. Methods Proposed the QSFedMA‐IoMT protocol integrating quantum and classical security techniques. Utilized entanglement‐based E91 protocol for generating a highly secure root key to establish trust. Applied BB84 protocol for efficient generation of per‐round session keys during FL updates. Incorporated classical cryptographic scheme AES‐GCM for secure communication. Employed privacy‐enhancing techniques such as norm‐clipping and Gaussian noise to mitigate information leakage during model training. Results Our work demonstrates robust resistance against both classical and quantum adversaries, while enhancing data privacy through secure key distribution and differential privacy mechanisms. It ensures the integrity of model updates within the federated learning process and achieves an effective balance between strong security guarantees and computational efficiency, making it well‐suited for IoMT environments. Conclusion The QSFedMA‐IoMT protocol delivers a robust and practical hybrid framework for securing federated learning in healthcare systems. By integrating E91 and BB84 protocols, it strengthens key management and trust establishment. The combination of quantum security with classical privacy‐preserving techniques ensures resilience, scalability, and efficiency. Overall, this work provides a promising direction for secure and privacy‐aware federated learning in next‐generation IoMT applications.
The rapid proliferation of Internet of Things devices (IoT) across healthcare, smart homes, transportation, and industrial automation has led to an unprecedented exchange of sensitive data over wireless channels, exposing these networks to cyberattacks, eavesdropping, and unauthorized access.Conventional cryptographic techniques, which rely on computational hardness assumptions, are increasingly vulnerable to the emerging capabilities of quantum computing.This paper explores the application of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) as a means of enabling secure and dependable data communication for IoT devices.By exploiting the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics, QKD allows two communicating parties to generate a shared secret key while inherently detecting any attempt at interception.The proposed approach aims to enhance data privacy, ensure secure authentication, preserve confidentiality, and safeguard IoT systems against present and future quantum enabled threats.The integration of quantum based security techniques into existing IoT infrastructure is examined, along with its implications for improving the reliability and trustworthiness of wireless IoT communication systems.This work positions Quantum Enhanced Secure Data Communication as a forward looking security solution for next generation IoT networks.
The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is a compelling networking paradigm integrating wireless communications sensors, connected devices, and embedded computing technologies. The IoMT involves the collection of real-time health data using sophisticated medical sensors. In recent years, the IoMT has become increasingly significant within the broader context of the Internet of Things (IoT). It provides accessibility for health monitoring and poses security obstacles to safeguarding the confidentiality and privacy of patient data. Therefore, this article presents a blockchain-integrated quantum authentication scheme in sensor-assisted IoMT networks. The proposed concept utilizes blockchain technology to achieve efficient patient authentication without the need for third-party entities. In addition, a secure quantum authentication scheme is designed not to require patients to authenticate themselves when communicating with multiple doctors simultaneously. This protocol explicitly addresses how clinicians can misuse their professional roles toward patients in IoMT networks. An evaluation analysis assesses the proposed technique’s efficacy compared to existing authentication schemes. The performance analyses demonstrate that the proposed protocol is resilient against various security attacks. Also, the practical usability of the quantum authentication scheme proved its importance as a significant improvement in communication security for IoMT networks.
The advent of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and quantum-based privacy-preserving techniques has ushered in a new era for securing communication channels within the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) systems. We examine the fundamentals, uses, and ramifications of quantum cryptography in relation to healthcare data security in this thorough investigation. The journey commences with an in-depth overview of quantum cryptography, unraveling the concepts of superposition, entanglement, and quantum gates that form the bedrock of quantum computing. As we proceed, we investigate the uses of quantum cryptography, highlighting its contribution to resolving the particular issues brought about by the data-intensive and networked character of IoMT systems. The relevance of QKD in ensuring secure communication within IoMT is meticulously dissected, with case studies and experiments demonstrating the practicality and effectiveness of quantum-based privacy-preserving techniques. From telemedicine networks to wearable health devices, each case study offers valuable insights into the application of quantum-safe cryptography, showcasing its ability to fortify data integrity and confidentiality. A meticulous survey of existing research, coupled with an analysis of advancements in quantum cryptography, provides a panoramic view of the current landscape. From hardware limitations to distance constraints, the study navigates through challenges and breakthroughs, offering a roadmap for the future integration of quantum technologies into IoMT systems.Comparing quantum-based approaches with classical cryptography unveils a nuanced landscape of computational complexity, key distribution methodologies, and real-time encryption considerations. This comparative analysis serves as a guide for healthcare practitioners and technologists in making informed decisions regarding the adoption of quantum-based privacy-preserving techniques in IoMT environments. The case studies and experiments collectively paint a picture of the practicality and promise of quantum-based privacy-preserving techniques in IoMT scenarios. Anticipating future advancements, the exploration extends into quantum hardware improvements, standardization efforts, and the integration of quantum technologies with emerging trends like edge computing and blockchain. As the healthcare industry stands on the cusp of a quantum revolution, the comprehensive insights provided herein offer a foundation for understanding, implementing, and shaping the future of secure healthcare communication through the lens of quantum cryptography.