With the widespread adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in healthcare systems, security issues related to user privacy during data transmission and sharing have become increasingly prominent. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a medical privacy protection and secure sharing scheme based on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). The scheme integrates multiple technologies, including blockchain, smart contracts, zero-knowledge proofs, and Chebyshev chaotic mapping, to ensure secure data sharing and access control among multiple communication entities. Compared with existing solutions, our approach enhances key management security through quantum keys and improves communication resilience against attacks by leveraging chaotic systems. User identity privacy is protected via zero-knowledge proofs. Under the random oracle model, the security of the proposed scheme is formally proven. Moreover, comparative experiments with existing protocols demonstrate the scheme's comprehensive advantages in terms of security and performance, evaluated across throughput, computational overhead, communication overhead, and storage overhead.
With the widespread adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in healthcare systems, security issues related to user privacy during data transmission and sharing have become increasingly prominent. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a medical privacy protection and secure sharing scheme based on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). The scheme integrates multiple technologies, including blockchain, smart contracts, zero-knowledge proofs, and Chebyshev chaotic mapping, to ensure secure data sharing and access control among multiple communication entities. Compared with existing solutions, our approach enhances key management security through quantum keys and improves communication resilience against attacks by leveraging chaotic systems. User identity privacy is protected via zero-knowledge proofs. Under the random oracle model, the security of the proposed scheme is formally proven. Moreover, comparative experiments with existing protocols demonstrate the scheme's comprehensive advantages in terms of security and performance, evaluated across throughput, computational overhead, communication overhead, and storage overhead.
The rapid expansion of Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) networks has enabled continuous data collection from diverse medical sensors and devices, supporting real-time monitoring, diagnostics, and decision-making. However, the resource limitations of IoT nodes and the open nature of communication channels make healthcare data vulnerable to security and privacy breaches. To address these challenges, this paper presents a blockchain-assisted, privacy-preserving signature scheme leveraging Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) to ensure secure and trustworthy data sharing in Healthcare Internet of Things (H-IoT) environments. The proposed scheme integrates a quantum-designated verifier signature mechanism with a private blockchain infrastructure, where peer nodes validate and store healthcare data securely. Formal (software-based) and informal security analyses demonstrate the scheme's resistance to forgery, replay, and quantum attacks. Simulation experiments conducted in Python show that the proposed protocol achieves strong cryptographic performance, with a computational cost of 42.1ms and a communication overhead of 834 bits. Additionally, a blockchain-based prototype implementation quantifies the time required to append various numbers of blocks and process multiple healthcare transactions, confirming the scalability and practicality of the proposed solution. The results affirm that the scheme offers a reliable, efficient, and quantum-resilient framework for securing sensitive medical data across distributed IoMT healthcare systems.
Objective: The authors propose and evaluate a novel cybersecurity architecture for telehealth that is resilient against future quantum computing cyber threats. By integrating post-quantum cryptography (PQC) with quantum key distribution (QKD) and privacy-preserving mechanisms, data confidentiality and immutability for patient records in a post-quantum era are ensured. Methods: A multi-layered design approach was adopted. The PQC algorithms (e.g. CRYSTALS-Dilithium) were integrated at the blockchain consensus layer to resist quantum attacks. A directed acyclic graph (DAG)-based ledger managed high transaction throughput and latency constraints typical of telehealth. A QKD-enhanced key management protocol leveraged quantum channels for secure exchanges. Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) and secure multiparty computation (MPC) verified transactions without exposing sensitive patient data. A granular access control model used attribute-based encryption and smart contracts to govern which participants could view or modify encrypted medical records. Results: The prototype was developed within a simulated telehealth network comprising hospitals, clinics, and patient devices. The PQC signatures at the consensus layer provided effective resistance to both classical and anticipated quantum attacks. The QKD facilitated secure key distribution, while ZKPs and MPC enabled validation of healthcare transactions without compromising patient privacy. Despite increased computational overhead, the DAG approach efficiently handled parallel transactions, indicating improved scalability compared to traditional linear blockchains. Conclusion: A QKD-enhanced, PQC-driven framework successfully addresses critical security and privacy requirements, safeguarding medical data from emerging quantum threats. Although overhead and infrastructural costs are significant, sustained cryptographic resilience and robust patient confidentiality underscore its suitability for next-generation healthcare systems. Future studies should explore additional optimizations, homomorphic encryption, and larger-scale pilots under regulatory standards.
The integration of blockchain technology in electronic medical records (EMRs) offers enhanced data security and integrity. However, classical blockchain systems face potential threats from quantum computing and often involve significant computation and communication costs. This paper proposes a secure framework for safeguarding EMRs using quantum blockchain technology, leveraging quantum cryptographic principles to enhance security. The proposed framework employs Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and post-quantum cryptographic algorithms to resist quantum attacks, ensuring robust protection of sensitive data. By optimizing consensus mechanisms with quantum algorithms, with this research work, a 30% reduction in computation costs and a 25% decrease in communication overhead is achieved compared to traditional blockchain systems. These improvements are quantified through simulation results, demonstrating the framework’s efficiency and practicality. The proposed solution ensures higher security, integrity, and cost-effectiveness for managing EMRs in the face of emerging quantum threats.
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.
Background and Aims: Rising quantum hazards and flaws in conventional encryption make cloud-based healthcare data security harder. Quantum-Secure HealthChain, a new architecture using blockchain and quantum computing, improves medical data security, patient privacy, and data fidelity. Methods: To prevent quantum attacks, the proposed system uses Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) for safe cryptographic key exchange and quantum-resistant encryption. Blockchain technology secures medical records, while multi-layered encryption ensures data privacy. Quantum Biometric Authentication improves access control using quantum entanglement and biometric data. Key generation, encryption, blockchain storage, authentication, and decryption are system process steps. Experimental evaluation focuses on encryption speed, resource economy, throughput, and scalability using simulated healthcare data. Results: Experimental data demonstrate system strength and efficiency. Encryption and decryption perform consistently for 1 to 100 MB data sizes with negligible overhead. Throughput can reach 105 transactions per second under normal demand; CPU (82%) and memory (210 MB) utilization are low. Scalability studies show linear expansion lets the system handle increased data volumes and user demands without sacrificing performance. Security study confirms quantum attack, data corruption, and unauthorized access resistance. Conclusion: Quantum-Secure HealthChain offers a revolutionary method to cloud-based healthcare system security. Blockchain-quantum computing integration ensures strong authentication, safe key exchange, and quantum-resistant encryption. Its security, scalability, and efficiency make it a future-ready platform for safe medical data management, reducing quantum computing hazards.