The integration of digital technologies into power grids, including smart grids and renewable energy systems, has enhanced their efficiency but introduced new vulnerabilities, particularly regarding communication security. Traditional communication methods are insufficient to address sophisticated interference, such as jamming. This research proposes a hybrid quantum communication system combining Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and an Adaptive Anti-Jamming Module (AAJM) to secure power grid communications against interference. Existing research has focused mainly on theoretical applications of quantum communication, with limited attention to practical deployment in dynamic environments like power grids. The proposed system integrates QKD for secure key exchange and AAJM for real-time adjustment of communication parameters, ensuring stable communication under interference. The system was tested under continuous wave, burst, and reactive jamming, with results showing a key generation rate of 100±5 kbps, throughput of 9.8 Mbps, and a low Bit Error Rate (BER) of 0.02%. In comparison, traditional methods like frequency hopping and DSSS showed lower performance, with throughput of 7.3 Mbps and higher BER of 0.85%. This study advances secure communication systems for critical infrastructures, providing a practical solution to mitigate interference. The results demonstrate the potential of hybrid quantum communication systems to improve power grid security and resilience.
The integration of digital technologies into power grids, including smart grids and renewable energy systems, has enhanced their efficiency but introduced new vulnerabilities, particularly regarding communication security. Traditional communication methods are insufficient to address sophisticated interference, such as jamming. This research proposes a hybrid quantum communication system combining Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and an Adaptive Anti-Jamming Module (AAJM) to secure power grid communications against interference. Existing research has focused mainly on theoretical applications of quantum communication, with limited attention to practical deployment in dynamic environments like power grids. The proposed system integrates QKD for secure key exchange and AAJM for real-time adjustment of communication parameters, ensuring stable communication under interference. The system was tested under continuous wave, burst, and reactive jamming, with results showing a key generation rate of 100±5 kbps, throughput of 9.8 Mbps, and a low Bit Error Rate (BER) of 0.02%. In comparison, traditional methods like frequency hopping and DSSS showed lower performance, with throughput of 7.3 Mbps and higher BER of 0.85%. This study advances secure communication systems for critical infrastructures, providing a practical solution to mitigate interference. The results demonstrate the potential of hybrid quantum communication systems to improve power grid security and resilience.
The smart grid relies on information and communication technology to enhance capabilities and electricity management, with information technology aimed at safeguarding the power grid. However, despite leveraging modern communication systems, the smart grid still faces various security challenges. In this paper, we present our work on implementing quantum key distribution (QKD) in the smart grid. Unlike previous approaches, we designed and evaluated separate wired and wireless key distribution mechanisms to securely distribute keys to the terminals. Our experimental results verified that the bit error rate (BER) of the wired key distribution is below 1.5%, and the code rate exceeds 3 Mbps when the transmission distance is less than 10 km. Additionally, we analyzed the performance of wireless key distribution mechanisms. Through theoretical analysis and application scenario evaluation, we demonstrated the feasibility of using QKD to ensure the security of the smart grid.
Secure communication has become essential due to the rapid increase in cyber-attacks and data security threats in modern networks. Traditional communication systems mainly rely on classical security methods, which may become vulnerable to advanced attacks. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) improves secure communication by generating cryptographic keys using quantum principles, making key interception extremely difficult. In this work, a Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) is integrated with classical communication to develop a hybrid quantum-classical communication framework. The QRNG generates highly random bits that improve authentication, randomness, and key security. The proposed system compares three QKD protocols: BB84, B92, and E91 using different bit sizes of 8000, 10000, and 13000 bits. The protocols are evaluated using important metrics such as QBER, key rate, entropy, erasure rate, throughput, and correlation. Experimental results show that all protocols achieved entropy values close to 1 and correlation values near zero, indicating strong randomness and secure key generation. Among the evaluated protocols, E91 achieved lower QBER values and higher key rates, while BB84 showed stable and reliable performance. B92 produced comparatively higher error rates under similar conditions. The throughput remained nearly 278–281 bits/sec across all experiments. A ranking-based analysis confirmed that E91 provides the best balance between security, efficiency, and communication performance, making it suitable for future quantum-secure communication systems.
This paper presents an enhanced Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocol to strengthen the security of smart grid systems through secure communication and signature verification. As smart grids increasingly depend on digital communication, safeguarding them against cyber threats is paramount. Our approach incorporates Hadamard, SWAP, and rotation gates to fortify the BB84 protocol, ensuring secure key exchange while verifying the integrity and authenticity of transmitted data between smart meters and grid operators. Experimental results demonstrate that the protocol provides efficient key generation, encryption, and decryption while improving eavesdropping detection. With 10 qubits, the protocol achieved a key generation rate of 957 bits and successfully encrypted messages. These findings suggest that QKD offers a robust security framework for smart grid environments, providing superior resistance to both quantum and classical attacks.
The study investigates how quantum cryptography can be employed to improve security in smart grid communication networks. Attempting to use the BB84 QKD protocol, it allows secure creation and management of those cryptographic keys that cannot be broken with the help of quantum and traditional hacking techniques. It depends on symmetric encryption mechanisms like AES to provide high data confidentiality during transmission. Regarding the key management, the system provides a key management server that distributes keys to the grid nodes and performs key updating to ensure control with the managing authority. It also presents reliability under practical conditions through performance analogs such as Quantum Bit Error Rates (QBER), and system latency. This approach shows that quantum cryptography can provide a highly secure and efficient communication network for the next-generation smart grid.
With the development of smart grids, the demand for cybersecurity is increasing rapidly. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), which can theoretically achieve secure information transmission, has the potential to enhance the security of power communication. To overcome the structural limitations and resource constraints of current QKD-based communication schemes, this paper proposes a multi-resource hybrid QKD-based communication scheme for power grids. This scheme meets the diverse secure communication needs of power systems through the coordinated utilization of multiple QKD resources. First, the advantages and disadvantages of satellite, fiber, and wireless QKD methods, along with their respective application scenarios, are analyzed. Then, considering the synergistic effects of hybrid QKD and the varied demands of power businesses, a quantum resource deployment optimization model is established. This model aims to minimize the system’s information risk index and is reformulated as a solvable mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) problem. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed scheme is validated using a modified IEEE RTS-79 test system and two real-world power communication systems. By analyzing on sensitivity, adaptability, scalability and IoT applications of various QKD methods, this study provides valuable insights for the large-scale deployment of quantum-secure power communication networks in the future.
The Smart Grid (SG) represents the next-generation power system in the future grid infrastructure, designed for self-healing, adaptability, and sustainability. However, the interconnected and geographically dispersed nature of SG systems introduces cybersecurity risks, potentially leading to severe incidents. Cyber attacks on SG applications could result in significant events, including outages and infrastructure damage. These attacks may compromise energy data, starting with the leakage of personal information from grid members. To address these risks, confidentiality, device authentication, and data integrity are essential, traditionally implemented through public-key cryptography (PKC). The rise of quantum computers and the potential adaptation of algorithms like Shor’s poses a threat to PKC algorithms in SG communications. In response, we propose a security protocol for post-quantum communication in SG applications, ensuring resilience against classical and quantum attacks. The protocol has been tested through rigorous informal security analysis, and comparative analysis demonstrates its scalability and effectiveness in real-world scenarios.