Quantum key distribution (QKD) offers unconditional security for mobile aerial networks, but existing protocols face challenges in low-altitude, continuously moving aerial networks because of hardware complexity and sensitivity to channel noise. This paper proposes mobile aerial semi-quantum communication (MASQC), a novel lightweight protocol that integrates and adapts decoy state analysis with time-batched polarization encoding over free-space optics to enable secure key distribution among aerial vehicles (AVs) and base stations. MASQC introduces six key innovations tailored for aerial networks: (1) a decoy state semi-quantum protocol implementation requiring only passive single-photon detection on AVs while providing robust security against photon-number-splitting attacks, (2) time-batched polarization encoding with 1-5 ms windows and real-time trajectory prediction to compensate for Doppler effects, (3) comprehensive post-quantum authentication infrastructure using CRYSTALS-Dilithium signatures and CRYSTALS-Kyber key encapsulation, (4) adaptive security thresholding (0.08-0.12) with dual-layer error analysis combining conventional QBER and decoy state bounds, (5) hybrid quantum-classical resilience with emergency key pools and perfect forward secrecy mechanisms, and (6) encrypted relay capabilities through neighboring AVs during line-of-sight disruptions. Unlike prior semi-quantum or decoy-state protocols designed for static environments, MASQC provides a holistic system solution addressing the unique constraints of low-altitude aerial networks. Comprehensive simulation results using the Qiskit framework demonstrate the effectiveness of MASQC with an 85.3% network success rate, high bits/second key generation rate per AV, and robust security validation including a high attack detection probability against sophisticated eavesdropping attempts.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) offers unconditional security for mobile aerial networks, but existing protocols face challenges in low-altitude, continuously moving aerial networks because of hardware complexity and sensitivity to channel noise. This paper proposes mobile aerial semi-quantum communication (MASQC), a novel lightweight protocol that integrates and adapts decoy state analysis with time-batched polarization encoding over free-space optics to enable secure key distribution among aerial vehicles (AVs) and base stations. MASQC introduces six key innovations tailored for aerial networks: (1) a decoy state semi-quantum protocol implementation requiring only passive single-photon detection on AVs while providing robust security against photon-number-splitting attacks, (2) time-batched polarization encoding with 1-5 ms windows and real-time trajectory prediction to compensate for Doppler effects, (3) comprehensive post-quantum authentication infrastructure using CRYSTALS-Dilithium signatures and CRYSTALS-Kyber key encapsulation, (4) adaptive security thresholding (0.08-0.12) with dual-layer error analysis combining conventional QBER and decoy state bounds, (5) hybrid quantum-classical resilience with emergency key pools and perfect forward secrecy mechanisms, and (6) encrypted relay capabilities through neighboring AVs during line-of-sight disruptions. Unlike prior semi-quantum or decoy-state protocols designed for static environments, MASQC provides a holistic system solution addressing the unique constraints of low-altitude aerial networks. Comprehensive simulation results using the Qiskit framework demonstrate the effectiveness of MASQC with an 85.3% network success rate, high bits/second key generation rate per AV, and robust security validation including a high attack detection probability against sophisticated eavesdropping attempts.
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.
Recently, low-altitude wireless networks (LAWNs) have emerged as a critical backbone for supporting the low-altitude economy, particularly with the densification of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and high-altitude platforms (HAPs). To meet growing data demands, some LAWN deployments incorporate free-space optical (FSO) links, which offer exceptional bandwidth and beam directivity. However, without strong security measures in place, both conventional radio frequency channels and FSO beams remain vulnerable to interception and spoofing, and FSO in particular can suffer from turbulence, misalignment, and weather-related attenuation. To address these challenges in the quantum era, a quantum-secure architecture calledQuantum Skyshieldis proposed to enable reliable communication between the base transceiver station (BTS) and LAWN. The proposed design integrates BB84 quantum key distribution (QKD) with post-quantum authentication mechanisms. Simulation results confirm the reliable generation of a 128-bit symmetric key when the quantum bit error rate (QBER) remains below the threshold of 11%. Authentication is enforced using Lamport one-time signatures and hash-based message authentication codes (HMAC) to ensure message integrity. A Grover-inspired threat detection mechanism identifies anomalies with up to 89% probability in a single iteration, enabling real-time trust evaluation. Lastly, future research challenges have also been identified and discussed to guide further development in this area.
Maritime communication systems face critical challenges in ensuring secure, reliable, and long-range connectivity due to inherent vulnerabilities in traditional encryption, coverage gaps in remote sea areas, and susceptibility to eavesdropping under complex maritime conditions. While Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-assisted networks have expanded coverage, security remains a persistent concern. Quantum communication, leveraging quantum key distribution (QKD), offers a paradigm shift by ensuring information-theoretic security. This paper proposes a UAV-based quantum relay maritime communication system that integrates QKD, UAV relays, and satellite networks to establish a hybrid quantum-classical architecture. The innovation lies in deploying UAVs as dynamic relay nodes to enable BB84-protocol-based QKD, while satellites ensure global coverage. Key advancements include: (1) a unidirectional quantum channel design featuring UAV-mounted quantum emitters (Alice) and ship-based receivers (Bob), minimizing technical complexity while ensuring secure key distribution; (2) a multi-layered network integrating ship-UAV-ship, ship-UAV-base station, and ship-satellite communication modes, enhancing resilience against environmental interference; and (3) real-time quantum-classical synergy, where classical data channels (e.g., AES-encrypted) are dynamically secured by QKD-generated keys, achieving compatibility with existing infrastructure while eliminating key leakage risks. Simulations validate the system’s resilience under maritime conditions: optimizing parameters such as detection efficiency (eff > 90%) and dark count (dc < 10⁻⁶/pulse) achieves a stable secure key rate over 100 km, with a Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER) below 0.5% at 200 km. The proposed architecture offers transformative applications in maritime safety, emergency response, and offshore operations, providing eavesdropping-resistant links for remote vessels and secure data exchange for critical infrastructure. By bridging the gap between quantum security and practical maritime deployment, this work establishes a scalable blueprint for next-generation communication systems in military, commercial, and environmental monitoring domains.
The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) network serves as the core infrastructure of the future low-altitude intelligent network, providing flexible aerial smart services for various industries through inter-UAV collaboration and ground-air connectivity. With the advancement of quantum computing, quantum algorithms pose a serious threat to UAV communication networks. Traditional authentication protocols based on classical number-theoretic problems are no longer secure against quantum attacks. To address the challenges of quantum threats and the inherent characteristics of UAVs, such as high mobility and resource constraints, this paper proposes a quantum resistant authentication and key agreement protocol for UAV networks. The comprehensive informal security analysis demonstrates the robustness of the protocol against various attacks, particularly attacks based on quantum computing. Furthermore, the authentication component of the protocol adopts a lightweight design, reducing computational overhead by up to 53.57%, thereby balancing security and efficiency.
With the widespread deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in both military and civilian domains, the demand for secure and encrypted communications in UAV networks integrated with ground stations has become increasingly prominent. Authentication and key agreement protocols are widely regarded as essential technical mechanisms for ensuring the security of data transmission in wireless communication environments. However, the rapid advancement of quantum computing technologies poses potential security threats to conventional protocols based on elliptic curve cryptography. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a quantum-secure authentication and key agreement protocol tailored for UAV–ground station communication scenarios. By incorporating Crystal-Kyber, the proposed protocol ensures quantum resistance while striving to minimize system computational overhead. The results of the informal security analysis indicate that the proposed protocol can effectively withstand a variety of known attacks. In addition, comprehensive comparative evaluations with existing related protocols demonstrate that, while maintaining low computational overhead, the proposed scheme exhibits stronger robustness in terms of security and functional properties.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly integrated into Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems for applications such as surveillance, disaster response, environmental monitoring, and logistics. These missions demand reliable and secure communication between UAVs and cloud platforms for command, control, and data storage. However, UAV communication channels are highly vulnerable to eavesdropping, spoofing, and man-in-the-middle attacks due to their wireless and often long-range nature. Traditional cryptographic schemes either impose excessive computational overhead on resource-constrained UAVs or lack sufficient robustness for cloud-level security. To address this challenge, we propose a dual-layer encryption architecture that balances lightweight efficiency with strong cryptographic guarantees. Unlike prior dual-layer approaches, the proposed framework introduces a context-aware adaptive lightweight layer for UAV-to-gateway communication and a hybrid post-quantum layer for gateway-to-cloud security, enabling dynamic cipher selection, energy-aware key scheduling, and quantum-resilient key establishment. In the first layer, UAV-to-gateway communication employs a lightweight symmetric encryption scheme optimized for low latency and minimal energy consumption. In the second layer, gateway-to-cloud communication uses post-quantum asymmetric encryption to ensure resilience against emerging quantum threats. The architecture is further reinforced with optional multi-path hardening and blockchain-assisted key lifecycle management to enhance scalability and tamper-proof auditability. Experimental evaluation using a UAV testbed and cloud integration shows that the proposed framework achieves 99.85% confidentiality preservation, reduces computational overhead on UAVs by 42%, and improves end-to-end latency by 35% compared to conventional single-layer encryption schemes. These results confirm that the proposed adaptive and hybridized dual-layer design provides a scalable, secure, and resource-aware solution for UAV-to-cloud communication, offering both present-day practicality and future-proof cryptographic resilience.