This research paper presents a framework, referred to as QRAPSF, which is quantum-resilient and adaptive privacy security framework for 6G communication systems. The QRAPSF framework incorporates quantum-resistant key establishment using ML-KEM, authentication using ML-DSA, lightweight privacy preserving identity management, adaptive physical layer security, and threat aware security level selection. The hierarchical security controller determines the appropriate security level based on channel status, device capability, latency requirements, and threat level. The proposed QRAPSF framework obtains attack detection accuracy of 96.24%, authentication success rate of 98.31%, and privacy preservation efficiency of 95.14% under 5% network load and 93.81%, 96.19%, and 92.61%, respectively, under 30% network load. The communication overhead remains between 9.42% and 11.68%, whereas the authentication latency varies between 29.84 ms and 37.42 ms depending on the network load. Under 30% network load, the proposed QRAPSF framework has communication overhead 5.40 percentage points less than that of Lattice-Based Physical Layer Security and authentication latency 7.86 ms less than that of Hybrid PQC Authentication.
This research paper presents a framework, referred to as QRAPSF, which is quantum-resilient and adaptive privacy security framework for 6G communication systems. The QRAPSF framework incorporates quantum-resistant key establishment using ML-KEM, authentication using ML-DSA, lightweight privacy preserving identity management, adaptive physical layer security, and threat aware security level selection. The hierarchical security controller determines the appropriate security level based on channel status, device capability, latency requirements, and threat level. The proposed QRAPSF framework obtains attack detection accuracy of 96.24%, authentication success rate of 98.31%, and privacy preservation efficiency of 95.14% under 5% network load and 93.81%, 96.19%, and 92.61%, respectively, under 30% network load. The communication overhead remains between 9.42% and 11.68%, whereas the authentication latency varies between 29.84 ms and 37.42 ms depending on the network load. Under 30% network load, the proposed QRAPSF framework has communication overhead 5.40 percentage points less than that of Lattice-Based Physical Layer Security and authentication latency 7.86 ms less than that of Hybrid PQC Authentication.
The advent of 6G terahertz (THz) communication networks offers unparalleled data rates and ultra-dense device connectivity but introduces tremendous vulnerabilities to quantum computing attacks. Conventional cryptographic techniques such as RSA and ECC are becoming increasingly vulnerable to quantum attacks and are thus a serious threat to network integrity and data confidentiality. The research here addresses the challenge of protecting 6G-THz networks from quantum adversaries by designing a quantum-resilient cryptographic protocol for ultra-dense network scenarios. The main objective is to offer resilient, scalable, and low-latency encryption and authentication to enable high-throughput THz communications. The system leverages lattice-based post-quantum cryptography combined with a light-weight key distribution protocol and hierarchical identity management to support massive device connectivity. The novelty lies in the adaptive blending of post-quantum primitives optimized to the bandwidth and latency limitations inherent in THz systems, combined with context-aware key negotiation to remove quantum threats in real time. The protocol significantly enhances future network resilience in quantum-enabled adversarial networks.
The evolution from 5G to 6G wireless networks is driving a fundamental transformation in encryption technologies. While 5G networks primarily rely on advanced classical cryptography, including AES, ECC, and RSA, emerging applications such as IoT, e-healthcare, and ultra-reliable low-latency communications demand lightweight, hybrid, and context-aware security schemes. The advent of quantum computing poses significant threats to classical cryptosystems, motivating the integration of quantum-resistant security techniques, including post-quantum cryptography (PQC), quantum key distribution (QKD), and physical layer security (PLS) in 6G networks. This review synthesizes recent research on classical, hybrid, and quantum-resistant security techniques, highlighting the shift toward multi-layered and adaptive security frameworks. A comparative analysis of PLS in 5G and 6G illustrates its transition from a complementary role to a core security mechanism, especially in ultra-low-latency, massive connectivity, and heterogeneous environments. Finally, open research questions and standardization challenges are discussed, emphasizing the need for scalable, energy-efficient, and interoperable security solutions for next-generation wireless networks.
The evolution of 6G communication systems brings about unprecedented demands on ultra-reliable, lowlatency, wide-scale and end-to-end secure transmissions. At the same time, the emergence of quantum computing presents major risks for traditional cryptographic schemes, which will become unsecure for future communication infrastructures. This arti-cle introduces the first mathematically inspired architectural framework incorporating Post-Quantum Cryptographic (PQC) protocols into the 6 G design to facilitate secure and efficient communication in quantum-inimical scenarios. The framework successfully integrates them so that lattice-based cryptography and code-based signatures or multivariate polynomials with low complexity could work with one another to implement real-time confidential communication concurrently with the authentication and key exchange, while meeting the requirements of latency and bandwidth. We propose a three-layer architecture, crypto-graphic-agile and mathematically optimized, that operates at: physical, MAC and network layers and focuses on the energy efficiency, computational offloading and dynamic proto-col adaptation. In addition, the paper proposes a suite of new benchmarking metrics for QKD systems based on security, latency, and scalability, and conducts forward-looking numerical calculations under both classical and entirely quantum-safe and hybrid classical-quantum threat models. The results in this study have confirmed that the mathematically-based cryptographic modes can serve as 6 G architecture part, that can guarantee quantum resilient secure networking. The paper also points out open issues and research directions toward the efficient integration of PQC into upcoming wireless standards. Finally, this work provides the foundation framework for secure, ultra-reliable, and low-latency communication to be realized in the post-quantum 6G era.
The deployment of 5G and emerging 6G networks introduces significant security challenges for Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems comprising billions of heterogeneous devices, including resource-constrained endpoints, more capable embedded controllers, gateways, edge nodes, and network infrastructure. At the same time, the long-term security of widely deployed public-key cryptography is challenged by advances in quantum computing, motivating migration toward standardized post-quantum key-establishment and digital-signature mechanisms. This comprehensive, evidence-based review classifies cryptographic mechanisms for wireless IoT in 5G and beyond across lightweight symmetric cryptography, post-quantum cryptography, privacy-preserving encryption, and adaptive security. The literature-reported implementation results are compared with explicit attention to heterogeneous hardware, memory, energy, communication, and latency constraints. Lightweight symmetric mechanisms remain relevant for constrained data protection, while standardized post-quantum mechanisms such as ML-KEM and ML-DSA address quantum-vulnerable public-key functions and generally introduce larger keys, ciphertexts, signatures, certificates, or protocol messages. This review therefore emphasizes interoperability, firmware upgradability, crypto-agility, and lifecycle management rather than physical device-size growth. A conceptual three-phase roadmap for 2025–2035 is presented in which quantum-vulnerable public-key mechanisms are progressively supplemented and, where appropriate, replaced by hybrid classical–post-quantum and then post-quantum-capable architectures, while standardized symmetric/lightweight protection remains in use where it satisfies application requirements. The roadmap dates are planning intervals rather than universal adoption forecasts.
The rapid evolution of 5G and emerging 6G telecom networks introduces new security challenges due to the potential threat posed by quantum computing to conventional cryptographic algorithms. This study proposes a post-quantum cryptographic framework for protecting critical 5G and 6G telecom infrastructure against quantum-enabled attacks. The framework investigates quantum-resistant cryptographic mechanisms for secure key establishment, authentication, data confidentiality, and communication integrity. Performance is evaluated using key size, encryption and decryption time, computational overhead, latency, and throughput. The proposed approach aims to achieve a balance between quantum resistance and network efficiency, providing a scalable and resilient security solution for next-generation wireless communication environments.
The evolution of 6G networks necessitates robust authentication and key agreement (AKA) protocols to counter emerging security challenges, particularly the threat posed by quantum computing. Existing 5G-AKA protocols remain vulnerable to user tracking, replay attacks, and false base station impersonation, while Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) and RSA-based key exchanges face imminent obsolescence due to quantum attacks. This study examines the vulnerabilities of 5G-AKA and explores hybrid post-quantum cryptography (PQC) as a transitional security solution for 6G networks. We evaluate NIST-standardized PQC algorithms, focusing on their computational overhead, key size efficiency, and adaptability to heterogeneous network environments, including IoT and ultra-low latency applications. A comparative analysis of hybrid cryptographic schemes demonstrates that lattice-based (Kyber, Dilithium), hash-based (SPHINCS+), and code-based (BIKE, Classic McEliece) PQC techniques provide varying trade-offs between security, efficiency, and deployment feasibility. Furthermore, we propose a quantum-resistant 6G-AKA framework, integrating hybrid PQC, AI-driven trust mechanisms, and decentralized authentication to ensure scalability and interoperability. Experimental benchmarks highlight potential performance constraints, including latency in PQC-based key exchange and resource limitations in edge computing. Addressing these challenges requires the optimization of lightweight PQC implementations, formal security validation, and global standardization efforts. Our findings provide a roadmap for the secure transition to 6G authentication protocols, ensuring resilience against both classical and quantum threats.