The rapid transformation of defense communication ecosystems into distributed, AI-enabled, and multi-domain operational environments has exposed significant vulnerabilities in existing cryptographic infrastructures. These vulnerabilities are particularly critical in light of the imminent advancement of quantum computing, which threatens conventional public-key encryption schemes, and the operational limitations imposed by lightweight encryption mechanisms deployed on resource-constrained battlefield devices. The traditional public-key algorithm like RSA and ECC, could be exploited by quantum attacks, and the resource-efficient ciphers are not always effective to protect against advanced cyber-warfare, interception, and integrity-compromise in high-mobility tactical networks. This paper suggests DEF-CRYPT-Q (Defense Cryptographic Quantum-Enhanced Privacy-Preserving Hybrid Framework) to secure distributed defense communication data because it is motivated by the requirement of having a single, quantum-resilient, and privacy-preserving security architecture that is suitable in the context of heterogeneous defense settings. The suggested architecture will have four synergistic elements, namely (i) a Context-Aware Lightweight Defense Encryption (CALDE) module that is optimized to support constrained soldier wearables, UAV nodes, and edge sensors; (ii) a Quantum-Resistant Cryptographic Layer (QRCL) that uses lattice-based post-quantum primitives, such as CRYSTALS-Kyber to support the encapsulation of secure keys and CRYSTALS-Dilithium to support the generation of digital signatures, providing long-term quantum safety The experimental assessment of a heterogeneous model of a defense communication demonstrates the shortening of the encryption latency, the limited computational costs of the models of constrained platforms, the high level of integrity, and the resistance to classical and quantum adversarial models, which in turn makes it possible to claim that DEF-CRYPT-Q is a scalable and prospective cryptographic paradigm that is consistent with the strategic goals of modernizing its defense. Simulation results demonstrate that Adaptive DDP-QKA reduces encryption latency to 14.83 ms (vs. 18.21 ms classical and 21.48 ms naïve PQC) and bandwidth overhead to 13.9% (vs. 124.6% PQC), while maintaining moderate energy use (1.14 units). It achieves high quantum resistance (0.92 score), mission adaptability (0.95), and low residual risk (< 0.1 for major threats), verifying appropriateness for latency-sensitive defense communications.
The rapid transformation of defense communication ecosystems into distributed, AI-enabled, and multi-domain operational environments has exposed significant vulnerabilities in existing cryptographic infrastructures. These vulnerabilities are particularly critical in light of the imminent advancement of quantum computing, which threatens conventional public-key encryption schemes, and the operational limitations imposed by lightweight encryption mechanisms deployed on resource-constrained battlefield devices. The traditional public-key algorithm like RSA and ECC, could be exploited by quantum attacks, and the resource-efficient ciphers are not always effective to protect against advanced cyber-warfare, interception, and integrity-compromise in high-mobility tactical networks. This paper suggests DEF-CRYPT-Q (Defense Cryptographic Quantum-Enhanced Privacy-Preserving Hybrid Framework) to secure distributed defense communication data because it is motivated by the requirement of having a single, quantum-resilient, and privacy-preserving security architecture that is suitable in the context of heterogeneous defense settings. The suggested architecture will have four synergistic elements, namely (i) a Context-Aware Lightweight Defense Encryption (CALDE) module that is optimized to support constrained soldier wearables, UAV nodes, and edge sensors; (ii) a Quantum-Resistant Cryptographic Layer (QRCL) that uses lattice-based post-quantum primitives, such as CRYSTALS-Kyber to support the encapsulation of secure keys and CRYSTALS-Dilithium to support the generation of digital signatures, providing long-term quantum safety The experimental assessment of a heterogeneous model of a defense communication demonstrates the shortening of the encryption latency, the limited computational costs of the models of constrained platforms, the high level of integrity, and the resistance to classical and quantum adversarial models, which in turn makes it possible to claim that DEF-CRYPT-Q is a scalable and prospective cryptographic paradigm that is consistent with the strategic goals of modernizing its defense. Simulation results demonstrate that Adaptive DDP-QKA reduces encryption latency to 14.83 ms (vs. 18.21 ms classical and 21.48 ms naïve PQC) and bandwidth overhead to 13.9% (vs. 124.6% PQC), while maintaining moderate energy use (1.14 units). It achieves high quantum resistance (0.92 score), mission adaptability (0.95), and low residual risk (< 0.1 for major threats), verifying appropriateness for latency-sensitive defense communications.
Quantum computing is rapidly approaching a stage where classical cryptographic systems, particularly RSA, ECC, and Diffie–Hellman, will no longer provide adequate security for critical infrastructure. The emergence of Shor’s and Grover’s algorithms introduces unprecedented vulnerability to national cyber-defense ecosystems, underpinning power grids, transportation, military communications, and banking systems. This paper presents a unified post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) security framework integrating lattice-based primitives, hybrid key-exchange mechanisms, and secure orchestration for resource-constrained operational-technology environments. The proposed architecture leverages NIST-recommended schemes, including CRYSTALS-Kyber, CRYSTALS-Dilithium, and SPHINCS+, to ensure long-term confidentiality, integrity, and interoperability across legacy and modern control environments. A defense-in-depth trust-fabric is introduced to protect critical data flows across edge controllers, automation PLCs, substations, cloud-SCADA gateways, and defense communication systems. Performance evaluation demonstrates a 39.4% reduction in key-exchange latency, 46% faster authentication cycles, and zero-downtime cryptographic transition capability. Our findings position this framework as a practical migration blueprint supporting national PQC readiness and cyber-resilience mandates.
The rapid advancement of quantum computing poses a critical threat to classical public-key cryptographic systems widely used in defense communication infrastructures, while the practical deployment of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) remains constrained by excessive key sizes, computational overhead, and energy consumption in bandwidth- and latency-sensitive military environments. This study aims to develop and evaluate a quantum-inspired multi-objective optimization framework to enhance the operational feasibility of standardized PQC schemes without compromising cryptographic security. The proposed method applies a Quantum Genetic Algorithm (QGA) to optimize configuration parameters of CRYSTALS-Kyber and CRYSTALS-Dilithium by simultaneously balancing security strength, computational performance, resource efficiency, and deployability. Experiments were conducted using official NIST test vectors and defense-oriented communication scenarios, with performance evaluated across encryption and signature latency, throughput, key and signature sizes, memory footprint, and energy consumption, while security was validated against classical and quantum attack models. The results demonstrate that the optimized configurations achieve key and signature size reductions of up to 10.3%, throughput improvements of up to 15.5%, and energy consumption reductions of up to 12.5% compared to baseline NIST implementations, while fully maintaining NIST security levels and robust resistance to quantum adversaries. These improvements significantly enhance the suitability of PQC for tactical radios, satellite communications, and resource-constrained defense platforms. The findings indicate that quantum-inspired multi-objective optimization is a critical enabler for transitioning post-quantum cryptography from theoretical security constructs to deployable, mission-ready solutions in real-world defense systems.
The rapid advancement of quantum computing poses a significant threat to the confidentiality and integrity of classified and defense communications. Quantum algorithms have the potential to undermine widely deployed public key cryptographic schemes, exposing sensitive military and governmental information to interception and decryption. Foundational work in quantum cryptography has demonstrated that the principles of quantum mechanics can be leveraged to achieve fundamentally secure key distribution, offering a promising countermeasure to quantum-enabled attacks (Bennett & Brassard, 2014; Ekert, 1991). As defense communication systems increasingly rely on longterm data confidentiality, the urgency of transitioning toward quantum-resilient security architectures has become a strategic priority. Despite their widespread adoption, classical cryptographic mechanisms are increasingly vulnerable in the post-quantum era. Studies on post-quantum cryptography have shown that many conventional encryption and key exchange algorithms are susceptible to quantum adversaries, necessitating the development and standardization of new cryptographic primitives (Chen et al., 2016). Ongoing standardization efforts further highlight the complexity of migrating large-scale, mission-critical systems to quantum-safe solutions, particularly within defense environments where interoperability, reliability, and assurance requirements are stringent (Alagic et al., 2025). In parallel, artificial intelligence has emerged as a powerful enabler of advanced security analytics. Machine learning and deep learning techniques enhance intrusion detection, anomaly identification, and adaptive response capabilities within complex communication infrastructures (Buczak & Guven, 2016). Recent research also demonstrates that AI can be applied directly within quantum cryptographic systems, for example by improving signal processing, error correction, and performance optimization in quantum key distribution implementations (Chin et al., 2021). The convergence of quantum cryptography and AIdriven analytics therefore offers a complementary and proactive approach to securing defense communications against both classical and quantum threats. This paper analyzes the integration of quantum cryptography and artificial intelligence as a unified framework for protecting classified and defense communications. It synthesizes advances in quantum key distribution, post-quantum cryptography, and AI-based security analytics, and proposes an integrated perspective that enhances resilience, detection capability, and operational robustness. The study highlights key implications for defense communication systems, emphasizing how AI-enhanced quantum security architectures can support long-term confidentiality, adaptive defense, and strategic cyber resilience in the evolving threat landscape (Sarker et al., 2021).
As the digital landscape evolves, the reliance on cloud computing for critical infrastructure across various sectors highlights the need for robust security mechanisms to protect sensitive data from emerging cyber threats, particularly those posed by quantum computing. Traditional cryptographic systems, while currently effective, are vulnerable to quantum attacks, necessitating the development of quantum-resistant solutions. This research introduces the Quantum-Resilient Cryptographic Framework (QRCF), a hybrid, adaptive cryptographic framework designed to safeguard cloud environments against both classical and quantum threats. The QRCF integrates lattice-based Kyber and code-based McEliece algorithms, offering a comprehensive and scalable solution for secure data storage, management, and transmission. Key contributions include the development of a dynamic security management layer that adapts to real-time threat analysis, ensuring continuous protection against evolving threats, and the implementation of robust post-quantum cryptographic methods that maintain high performance and low computational overhead. Quantitative analysis shows that the QRCF maintains a high throughput of 420 MB/s for encryption and 400 MB/s for decryption under normal operations, with latency as low as 3.2 ms and 3.6 ms, respectively. The framework exhibited strong resistance to various attack models, with success rates of 1.0% for brute-force attacks, 1.875% for MITM attacks, 0.833% for side-channel attacks, and 1.6% for replay attacks. Against quantum threats, the QRCF showed no vulnerability to Shor’s Algorithm and a minimal success rate of 0.667% for Grover’s Algorithm. The framework’s design ensures seamless integration with existing cloud infrastructures, providing practical migration strategies to quantum-safe cryptography without disrupting operational workflows. By addressing key research gaps in quantum-safe cloud security, this study contributes significantly to the field, offering a robust, scalable, and efficient cryptographic solution that enhances the security and operational performance of cloud environments in the face of advancing quantum computational capabilities.
Quantum computing, very likely going to be a threat against current cryptographic systems especiallywith respect to war between nations, where secure communication and secured data access are very important.Conventional encrypting schemes such as RSA or ECC depend on mathematical problems that can easily besolved by quantum algorithms, typically Shor's, which makes such schemes vulnerable to attacks in the future.This research investigates how PQC is implemented to combat the looming threats of quantum cyber warfare sothat national security is assured. Among the most powerful PQC candidates are lattice based cryptographictechniques like NTRU Encrypt, Kyber and Dilithium, all representing quantum-resilient security. The researchlooks at the time taken for key generation relative to various security levels and quantum attack detection rates,analyzing in detail how these PQC algorithms stand in protecting military communications and criticalinfrastructure. The inference seems to be that though security levels increase, so does the computational overhead,calling for optimization strategies for realistic deployment. Also, a novel adaptive quantum attack detection systemcan be appended to render threat identification more efficient along the years. The joining of lattice-basedencryption with quantum-resistant cloud storage and secure communication protocols will thus yield a scalableefficient model for post-quantum cyber defense. Above all, the research states the need for quickly changingcryptographic standards to those which afford resistance to quantum attacks to secure sensitive data.
The growing interconnection of critical engineering infrastructure through IoT introduces unprecedented exposure to cyber threats. Emerging quantum computing capabilities pose a transformative risk to classical cryptographic primitives such as Rivest–Shamir–Adleman and Elliptic-Curve Cryptography, which underpin secure communication and device authentication in industrial control systems, power grids, transportation networks, and healthcare infrastructure. This paper investigates quantum-resistant encryption, often termed post-quantum cryptography (PQC), as a sustainable security paradigm for IoT communication within critical systems. By analyzing lattice-based, code-based, multivariate, and hash-based schemes, the study evaluates trade-offs between computational cost, memory footprint, and latency constraints intrinsic to resource-limited IoT nodes. A hybrid architectural framework integrating the National Institute of Standards and Technology-standardized algorithms (e.g., Cryptographic Suite for Algebraic Lattices—Kyber, Dilithium) with lightweight symmetric primitives (e.g., Ascon, GIFT block cipher in Combined Feedback mode) is proposed for secure data transmission across heterogeneous IoT layers. Experimental simulations benchmark key-exchange throughput, ciphertext expansion, and resilience against quantum-adversarial models, demonstrating up to 65% reduction in handshake latency compared to baseline lattice implementations under constrained conditions. The paper concludes with policy and engineering recommendations for the adoption of quantum-resistant IoT protocols in energy, transportation, and industrial automation sectors, highlighting alignment with global PQC migration roadmaps and IEC 62443 cybersecurity standards.