Quantum-Resilient Cloud Communication: A Systematic Literature Review and Taxonomy of Protection Mechanisms

Chirag Patel

Lopamudra Hota, Prasant Kumar Dash

Quantum computing exploits quantum-mechanical principles such as entanglement and superposition to offer significant computational advantages over conventional classical computing. Many complex and computationally challenging problems are expected to be solved by quantum computing in a number of fields, such as data science, industrial chemistry, smart energy, finance, secure communications, and many others. In order to understand the current status of quantum computing and identify its challenges, a systematic review of the existing literature will be valuable. An overview of quantum computing literature and its taxonomy is presented in this chapter. Further, the proposed taxonomy aims to identify research gaps by mapping various related studies. There is a detailed analysis of quantum technologies with the most current state of the art. Finally, the chapter presents a highlight of open challenges and future research directions.

Taboka Ngwenya, Belinda Mutunhu Ndlovu

The traditional cryptographic methods used to protect healthcare data, especially for the long-term storage of medical imaging records, are becoming increasingly threatened by the quick development of quantum computing. The purpose of this study is to assess the challenges, efficacy, and preparedness of integrating Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) into healthcare information systems. Twenty peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025 were analysed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. The review was conducted using a systematic research design that included qualitative thematic synthesis, predetermined eligibility criteria, and database searching. According to the results, lattice-based PQC schemes, specifically, CRYSTALS-Kyber for encryption and CRYSTALS-Dilithium for authentication, show great promise because of their effectiveness, resilience, and suitability for decentralized architectures like blockchain and Internet-of-Medical-Things environments. Nonetheless, the review points out a notable deficiency of empirical assessment in actual healthcare settings, particularly with regard to cloud-based platforms and Picture Archiving and Communication Systems utilized in medical imaging processes. Scalability limitations, intricate key-management specifications, system interoperability restrictions, and the requirement for conformity with regulatory and compliance frameworks are some of the major issues noted. The results indicate that lattice-based PQC schemes have great promise, deployment readiness remains largely at the conceptual and experimental stage, particularly for cloud-based PACS environments. Real-world implementation validation in a healthcare setting has not been achieved.

Michel Barbeau

Yaser Baseri, Vikas Chouhan, Abdelhakim Senhaji Hafid

Md. Farhan Shahriyar, Md Abdulla Al Mamun

Quantum computing threatens classical cryptography and the convergence of quantum key distribution (QKD), and steganography offers an unconditionally secure hybrid approach for postquantum communication. QKD ensures provable secrecy via quantum mechanics, while steganography conceals the existence of communication providing stealth and plausible deniability. This systematic review explores integrated frameworks that combine QKD with classical and quantum steganographic techniques to enhance confidentiality, integrity, and undetectability. The study categorizes existing hybrid models and evaluates their performance using metrics such as quantum bit error rate (QBER), entropy, and imperceptibility. It examines quantum steganographic protocols including quantum LSB, entangled‐state hiding, and covert key transmission, analyzing their resilience against quantum noise and steganalysis. Despite promising simulation tools and real‐time QKD implementations, challenges remain in scalability, interoperability, and formal security guarantees. This review identifies key limitations in current systems and highlights future directions for developing robust, scalable, and stealth‐aware quantum–classical security frameworks. To the best of current knowledge, this is the first systematic synthesis of hybrid QKD–steganography frameworks offering a novel taxonomy and critical analysis to advance secure communication infrastructures in the postquantum era.