Quantum Key Distribution and Authentication in the Cloud for Internet of Things

Abstract

Quantum computing is a type of computing that takes advantage of the principles of quantum mechanics to perform certain types of calculations much more efficiently than classical computers. Cloud computing has become the budding engine of the internet of things (IoT) and has become one of the most popular technologies in the last few years. The security of cloud computing is a key issue in the security of IoT. Quantum key distribution (QKD) and quantum authentication methods have been proposed in this chapter. The proposed protocol is able to authenticate the users in cloud using a short, shared key. The QKD is based on a quantum key distribution protocol that consists of two levels, namely, private key distribution and quantum authentication. The first level authentication takes place using shared key distribution. The second level authentication uses a shared key, and the third level authenticates the user in the cloud. The third level authentication is carried out using the quantum key distribution protocol.