Advances in quantum computing present a critical challenge to current public-key cryptography, posing significant risks to the infrastructure of smart cities and intelligent transportation systems (ITS). This paper proposes QuanReS, a hybrid framework that integrates Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) with classical infrastructure to deliver quantum-resistant security for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communications. We propose an SDN-based control layer that intelligently manages cryptographic resources by dynamically allocating secure QKD keys to protect high-sensitivity data in V2X communications, while employing post-quantum cryptographic schemes for less critical traffic. Through a comprehensive simulation for ITS applications, we demonstrate that this hybrid approach preserves the low-latency and high-throughput requirements essential for consumer electronics and real-time control systems, while ensuring strong pritection against quantum-enabled attacks. The results demonstrate that QuanReS achieves an effective balance between quantum resilience and practical deployment constraints, providing a scalable architectural framework for securing next-generation urban infrastructures.
Advances in quantum computing present a critical challenge to current public-key cryptography, posing significant risks to the infrastructure of smart cities and intelligent transportation systems (ITS). This paper proposes QuanReS, a hybrid framework that integrates Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) with classical infrastructure to deliver quantum-resistant security for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communications. We propose an SDN-based control layer that intelligently manages cryptographic resources by dynamically allocating secure QKD keys to protect high-sensitivity data in V2X communications, while employing post-quantum cryptographic schemes for less critical traffic. Through a comprehensive simulation for ITS applications, we demonstrate that this hybrid approach preserves the low-latency and high-throughput requirements essential for consumer electronics and real-time control systems, while ensuring strong pritection against quantum-enabled attacks. The results demonstrate that QuanReS achieves an effective balance between quantum resilience and practical deployment constraints, providing a scalable architectural framework for securing next-generation urban infrastructures.
Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication is a critical enabler of autonomous driving, supporting real-time information exchange among vehicles, roadside infrastructure, pedestrians, and cloud services. However, the security of current V2X systems largely relies on classical cryptographic mechanisms, which are expected to become vulnerable in the presence of large-scale quantum computers. Given the long operational lifespan and stringent safety requirements of autonomous vehicular networks, the transition toward quantum-resistant authentication and key management mechanisms has become increasingly important. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of post-quantum Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) protocols for secure V2X communications. The survey systematically reviews V2X communication architectures, security and privacy requirements, existing authentication frameworks, and emerging post-quantum cryptographic approaches. Representative AKA schemes and NIST-standardized post-quantum algorithms are comparatively analyzed in terms of security strength, computational complexity, communication overhead, storage requirements, scalability, and deployment suitability for resource-constrained vehicular environments. The survey further examines practical implementation challenges, including latency constraints, bandwidth limitations, signature size expansion, memory consumption, and hardware resource requirements. The analysis reveals that achieving quantum-resistant security in V2X networks requires balancing strong cryptographic protection with the stringent performance demands of safety-critical vehicular applications. While recent post-quantum approaches offer promising security guarantees against quantum adversaries, their practical deployment remains constrained by computational and communication overhead. Finally, this survey identifies key research gaps and outlines future directions for the development of lightweight, scalable, and quantum-resilient AKA frameworks capable of supporting next-generation autonomous transportation systems. The findings provide researchers and practitioners with a structured understanding of the opportunities, limitations, and challenges associated with securing future V2X communications in the quantum era.
As cities adopt integrated IoT ecosystems and data-driven urban governance, traditional encryption faces the threat of obsolescence by quantum computing attacks. This chapter explores the application of quantum cryptography in protecting smart urban infrastructure, with a focus on quantum key distribution (QKD), post-quantum algorithms, and hybrid systems. Through an examination of deployments in smart grids, traffic management systems, and public health platforms, we illustrate how quantum-resistant protocols reduce threats of data breaches and spoofing attacks. There are special challenges: scaling QKD to millions of IoT devices will need new network architectures, and integrating with legacy systems will need phased “crypto-agility” plans. The chapter presents a model for incorporating quantum-safe practice into urban design, with an emphasis on inter-disciplinary collaboration among cryptographers, policymakers, and city administrators.
The rapid proliferation of autonomous electric vehicles (AEVs) has created unprecedented cybersecurity challenges for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication systems that are vulnerable to quantum computing attacks and sophisticated adversarial strategies. This research presents a novel hybrid quantum key distribution (QKD) framework specifically designed for high-mobility vehicular environments, integrating satellite-based and terrestrial quantum communication infrastructure with mobile-optimized protocols. We propose the Mobile Quantum Key Distribution (M-QKD) protocol that achieves information-theoretic security while meeting stringent real-time performance requirements of safety-critical automotive applications. Our hybrid architecture combines predictive key pre-distribution algorithms, adaptive error correction mechanisms, and distributed key verification protocols to ensure continuous secure communication even at highway speeds exceeding120km/h. Comprehensive simulation results demonstrate 99.9% security assurance with sub-50 ms communication latencies and 98.5% quantum key distribution success rates under challenging vehicular mobility conditions. The proposed framework represents the first practical quantum-secured V2V communication system capable of providing unconditional security guarantees while maintaining compatibility with existing V2X standards and infrastructure.
The rapid advancement of quantum computing threatens the security foundations of classical public-key cryptographic systems such as RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), which underpin cloud and edge infrastructures. With scalable quantum algorithms capable of breaking widely deployed cryptographic primitives, organizations must transition toward quantum-resilient security models. This paper proposes a comprehensive Quantum-Resilient Cryptographic Architecture (QRCA) designed specifically for cloud and edge computing environments. The framework integrates post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms, hybrid key exchange protocols, zero-trust principles, and hardware-assisted secure enclaves. We present a layered security model that balances computational overhead, latency constraints, and scalability requirements in distributed systems. Experimental simulations evaluate performance metrics including encryption latency, key exchange overhead, and throughput across cloud data centres and edge nodes. Results indicate that hybrid PQC deployments achieve strong quantum resilience with manageable performance trade-offs. The proposed architecture offers a practical migration pathway for organizations seeking future-proof cryptographic security in distributed computing ecosystems.
This chapter offers an overall architecture of Quantum-AI Security in ITS, with main emphasis on threat modeling, post-quantum cryptography, AI-based anomaly detection, and privacy-preserving data management. It discusses the ways hybrid classical quantum architectures can be used to optimize traffic in real-time, provide secure V2X communication, and achieve resilient infrastructure functionality. The chapter further looks at quantum key distribution, post-quantum secure routing, adversarial attack mitigation of AI model, and regulation to safeguard the privacy of users. Real world deployment issues, system architecture and interoperability with existing standards are also addressed to make sure that it will be scalable and trustworthy. The proposed security framework, based on the combination of quantum resilience and AI intelligence, will improve the safety, privacy, and reliability of transportation ecosystems, which will result in the creation of secure, autonomous, and sustainable mobility.
The evolution of smart cities will contribute to an increase in the use of interconnected physical/digital ecosystems, and consequently, an increase in threat surface for the cyber threats against the protected data streams. With the emergence of quantum-based cyberthreats, this has increased the potential range of types of cyber-attacks on protected data and increased the use of quantum-based means of conducting cyber-attacks on protected data. This research proposal presents an Internet of Things (IoT) smart city framework founded on quantum-secure standards that were developed for next-generation IoT smart cities. The IoT Smart City Framework is comprised of four levels of architecture: a Quantum Backbone, a Key Management Level, an Edge Gateway Level, and an IoT Device Layer. Consequently, through the use of this architecture, the IoT Smart City Framework can protect the IoT Smart City Network from future cybercriminal attacks while providing assurance that the IoT Smart City Framework has been 'future-proofed.' By utilizing strategically deployed quantum nodes, the proposed solution performs QKD and frees devices with limited resources from needing to perform highly computationally intensive cryptography in order to secure encrypted communications, instead employing Lightweight Encryption Standards in conjunction with Symmetric Keys established via QKD. Using simulated quantum channels and urban IoT workloads, our experimental results yield secret key rates between 12 and 18 kilobits/sec (kbps) with a low quantum bit error rate (QBER) of 1.8% to 3.2%. Based on these experimental results, we conclude that the proposed hierarchical security architecture provides a resilient security framework for urban essential services, with negligible energy consumption.