Abstract Advancements in vehicular communication systems, particularly within the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), demand secure, efficient, and scalable cryptographic solutions. As vehicular networks evolve toward quantum-resistant architectures, integrating quantum computing principles—focusing on semiconductor-based qubits—offers promising pathways for enhanced cybersecurity. This work explores the application of lightweight cryptography, specifically the ASCON algorithm, to protect vehicular communications, while addressing the emerging needs for post-quantum security. The proposed hybrid framework combines ASCON with quantum-proof key exchange protocols, ensuring compatibility with semiconductor qubit architectures. Designed for microelectronics, this approach provides resilience against key threats, achieving rapid key generation in the microsecond range. Emphasizing the integration of quantum and microelectronic technologies, this study presents a practical method for embedding quantum-secure cryptography into intelligent transportation systems, bridging current microelectronic designs with future quantum infrastructures.
Abstract Advancements in vehicular communication systems, particularly within the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), demand secure, efficient, and scalable cryptographic solutions. As vehicular networks evolve toward quantum-resistant architectures, integrating quantum computing principles—focusing on semiconductor-based qubits—offers promising pathways for enhanced cybersecurity. This work explores the application of lightweight cryptography, specifically the ASCON algorithm, to protect vehicular communications, while addressing the emerging needs for post-quantum security. The proposed hybrid framework combines ASCON with quantum-proof key exchange protocols, ensuring compatibility with semiconductor qubit architectures. Designed for microelectronics, this approach provides resilience against key threats, achieving rapid key generation in the microsecond range. Emphasizing the integration of quantum and microelectronic technologies, this study presents a practical method for embedding quantum-secure cryptography into intelligent transportation systems, bridging current microelectronic designs with future quantum infrastructures.
The rise of autonomous vehicles (AVs) has led to an increased reliance on vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication networks to ensure real-time information sharing, situational awareness, and cooperative decision-making. However, the integration of quantum computing into cybersecurity threatens the cryptographic foundations upon which current V2V communication protocols rely. As quantum computers grow closer to practical implementation, traditional public-key encryption schemes—such as RSA and ECC—are rendered vulnerable to attacks from quantum algorithms like Shor’s and Grover’s. This review explores the necessity of adopting quantum-resistant cryptographic protocols to secure V2V communication frameworks. The study critically examines post-quantum cryptographic algorithms, including lattice-based, hash-based, code-based, multivariate polynomial, and isogeny-based schemes, with a focus on their applicability to latency-sensitive and resource-constrained vehicular environments. Furthermore, the paper evaluates the performance, scalability, and implementation challenges of integrating these cryptographic primitives into real-time autonomous systems. Case studies of pilot implementations and emerging research are reviewed to highlight the practicality of these protocols in vehicular edge computing and 5G-enabled automotive networks. The paper concludes by proposing a forward-looking roadmap for standardization and integration of quantum-resilient cryptography in intelligent transportation systems (ITS), ensuring long-term data integrity, authentication, and privacy across V2V infrastructures.
As autonomous vehicle networks become integral to modern transportation and critical infrastructure, ensuring the security of their communication systems is paramount. This paper presents a groundbreaking exploration of Quantum Cryptography as a robust framework for achieving unprecedented levels of security in autonomous vehicle networks. Our research delves into the vulnerabilities of classical cryptographic methods in the face of emerging quantum computing threats, emphasizing the need for a paradigm shift in securing autonomous vehicle communications. Leveraging the principles of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), we propose a novel quantum cryptographic architecture tailored to the unique dynamics and requirements of autonomous vehicle networks. The study includes the design, simulation, and analysis of a quantum cryptographic protocol employing QKD for secure key exchange. Through extensive simulations using state-of-the-art quantum computing simulators, we demonstrate the resilience of our proposed system against potential quantum attacks, ensuring a level of security that goes beyond the capabilities of classical cryptographic approaches. Furthermore, we address the practical aspects of implementing Quantum Cryptography in autonomous vehicle networks, including considerations for real-world deployment, scalability, and integration with existing communication protocols. Our findings not only establish the viability of Quantum Cryptography in this context but also pave the way for a new era of secure and resilient autonomous systems. In conclusion, this paper not only contributes to the theoretical understanding of Quantum Cryptography in the realm of autonomous vehicles but also provides actionable insights for the development of secure communication infrastructures critical to the widespread adoption of autonomous technologies.
The Internet of Vehicles (IoV) has the potential to improve the efficacy and safety of transportation, but it is also vulnerable to a variety of security threats. Traditional cryptographic methods are susceptible to vulnerabilities amid the imminent threat of quantum computation. In order to establish secure communication channels, this chapter investigates the integration of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) into IoV. It explores the principles of QKD, its advantages over classical cryptography, and the obstacles associated with its implementation in vehicular networks. Key management strategies are examined in the chapter, which also provides a thorough examination of QKD protocols that are appropriate for IoV. Additionally, it examines practical aspects, including resource optimization, error correction, and the establishment of quantum channels. This research safeguards critical vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications by addressing these challenges, thereby contributing to the development of robust and secure IoV systems.
The growing dependence on the Internet of Things (IoT) across different sectors requires stringent security solutions to ensure data confidentiality and integrity. Existing cryptographic solutions are not capable of achieving lightweight performance and resilience against upcoming cyberattacks, especially with the use of quantum computing. This article presents a hybrid cryptographic framework that combines Kyber-512, a post-quantum key encapsulation method, with ASCON, a lightweight authenticated encryption method, to improve IoT security. The proposed method includes key generation, encryption, secure data transmission, decryption with minimal computational load, and the ability to exhibit good security attributes. Performance analysis through extensive experimentation reveals that the proposed framework is efficient in terms of encryption time (43 ms), has minimal memory usage (2.56 KB), and provides optimal CPU usage (21.62%) and power savings (20.76 W), while ensuring high ciphertext entropy (7.90). The experimental results further indicate that the lightweight nature of ASCON allows for rapid encryption and decryption with little effect on system performance. The incorporation of Kyber-512 offers post-quantum security, reducing the threat of quantum-based attacks while being practically usable for devices with resource constraints. The proposed hybrid method meets security and efficiency requirements and is highly appropriate for use in IoT networks and similar embedded systems where computational resources and power savings are important considerations. This research highlights the importance of combining post-quantum cryptography with lightweight ciphers to strengthen the security posture in future-connected systems.
The rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) has introduced unprecedented cybersecurity challenges, as traditional cryptographic methods struggle to provide both efficiency and quantum resistance in resource-constrained environments. This research introduces Adaptive Quantum Cryptography (AQC), a novel security framework that integrates Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), Quantum Random Number Generators (QRNGs), and AI-driven dynamic adaptation to safeguard IoT networks against evolving cyber threats. Unlike classical encryption techniques such as RSA and ECC, which are vulnerable to quantum attacks, AQC leverages quantum mechanical principles—such as superposition, entanglement, and the no-cloning theorem—to ensure provably secure key exchange and data encryption. The proposed AQC system dynamically adjusts cryptographic protocols based on real-time network conditions, computational resources, and threat intelligence, optimizing security without imposing excessive overhead. Experimental evaluations demonstrate that AQC achieves a 70% improvement in key exchange efficiency, a 50% reduction in computational load, and a 95% resilience rate against quantum attacks compared to conventional encryption methods. Additionally, the integration of QRNGs enhances cryptographic key entropy, while AI-driven anomaly detection enables proactive threat mitigation. This framework is particularly suited for next-generation IoT applications, including smart grids, autonomous vehicles, and industrial automation, where security, scalability, and energy efficiency are critical. By combining quantum-resistant algorithms with adaptive security mechanisms, AQC provides forward secrecy, resistance to quantum adversaries, and robust authentication, ensuring long-term protection for IoT ecosystems in the post-quantum era. The findings underscore AQC’s potential as a foundational security architecture for future quantum-safe IoT networks.
The rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has revolutionized digital communication, yet it simultaneously poses unprecedented security challenges due to constrained device capabilities and increasing cyber threats. Conventional cryptographic techniques, while currently effective, are vulnerable to emerging quantum computing technologies that threaten to render classical encryption obsolete. This paper explores the integration of quantum-safe cryptographic techniques within IoT networks to ensure long-term confidentiality, integrity, and authentication. It examines post-quantum cryptographic primitives, including lattice-based, hash-based, multivariate, and code-based schemes, and evaluates their suitability for resource-constrained IoT environments. The study focuses on lightweight implementation strategies, balancing computational efficiency with robust security requirements. Simulation analyses demonstrate that properly optimized quantum safe protocols can provide resilient encryption, key exchange, and digital signature functionalities without overwhelming device resources. Furthermore, the integration of these techniques with IoT communication standards and secure network protocols ensures end-to-end protection across heterogeneous networks. Challenges such as latency, energy consumption, and scalability are addressed, highlighting the necessity of tailored cryptographic solutions for diverse IoT applications. The findings confirm that quantum safe cryptography is essential for future-proofing IoT networks, offering sustainable security measures that remain resilient against both classical and quantum adversaries, thereby supporting the continued expansion of secure and intelligent interconnected systems.