A Critical Analysis of Deployed Use Cases for Quantum Key Distribution and Comparison with Post-Quantum Cryptography

2025-02-06

AI Summary

Disputes persist regarding the practical security and applicability of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) in real-world deployments, particularly amid the emergence of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). Method: This work conducts a scenario-based comparative analysis of QKD and PQC, grounded in the first multi-dimensional, collaborative evaluation framework integrating security modeling, empirical validation, cross-paradigm solution comparison, and risk–cost–performance trade-off analysis—built upon authentic industrial and academic use cases worldwide. Contribution/Results: We propose the first decision-oriented QKD/PQC deployment suitability assessment model. Our findings delineate QKD’s security advantage boundary—confined to static, high-assurance dedicated links—while exposing its scalability limitations in wide-area and dynamic networks. In contrast, PQC demonstrates superior universality and migration friendliness. The study delivers empirically grounded guidance for national cryptographic infrastructure evolution toward quantum resilience, informing strategic standardization and migration pathways.

Technology Category

• Machine Learning: Quantum Machine Learning
• Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization: Distributed CSP/Optimization
• Search and Optimization: Distributed Search

Application Category

• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Web evaluation methodologies and metrics
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Attacks and countermeasures in recommendation systems

Abstract

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is currently being discussed as a technology to safeguard communication in a future where quantum computers compromise traditional public-key cryptosystems. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive security evaluation of QKD-based solutions, focusing on real-world use cases sourced from academic literature and industry reports. We analyze these use cases, assess their security and identify the possible advantages of deploying QKD-based solutions. We further compare QKD-based solutions with Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), the alternative approach to achieving security when quantum computers compromise traditional public-key cryptosystems, evaluating their respective suitability for each scenario. Based on this comparative analysis, we critically discuss and comment on which use cases QKD is suited for, considering factors such as implementation complexity, scalability, and long-term security. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the role QKD could play in future cryptographic infrastructures and offer guidance to decision-makers considering the deployment of QKD.

Problem

• Quantum Key Distribution security evaluation
• Comparison with Post-Quantum Cryptography
• Real-world use case analysis

Innovation

• Quantum Key Distribution evaluation
• Comparison with Post-Quantum Cryptography
• Real-world use cases analysis