As we approach Web 4.0, which relates to the uprising of internet of things (IoT)-enabled smart manufacturing devices that serve as data generator devices for companies, the responsibility of managing and securing this data is an overhead. Since the data can contain sensitive information, it is vulnerable to cyber-attacks. As advanced encryption-decryption cryptography algorithms are deficient to handle the situation, the uprising of quantum computing is making today's security mechanisms imperiled. Therefore, a quantum wall (QW) needs to be deployed for key generation which can resist potential attacks. Quantum-inspired IoT (QIoT) implies harnessing power imparted by quantum computing (QC) to secure IoT applications. It promises secure management of data throughout its life cycle. This chapter summarizes the recent relevant work conducted in this domain by conducting an intensive literature review around IoT, security implications, and how QC is making an impact in mitigating the cyber risks involved in data transfers in IoT.
Top1. Introduction
Quantum decade is real, it’s now! The world is buzzing with the capabilities that Quantum Computing is providing. Today there are people already walking around with quantum technology in their pockets. In 2020, mobile phone companies such as Samsung and Vsmart, finally agreed to incorporate quantum technology for their consumer products. The alternative approach that Quantum Computing uses is so tempting that organizations are wasting no time in integrating the power of quantum computing with their products to make them future proof. Be it block chain (Balogh et al., 2021; Younan et al., 2021), internet of things, machine learning, artificial intelligence, robotics, data analysis, data processing, big data analytic, data science, and even branches of biotechnology, physics, and chemistry; quantum computing is expected to change the way machines work. A qubit that is the alternative to conventional bit (binary digit) can be persisted in a lot more ways rather than ‘on’ or ‘off’. This enables us to store and process huge amounts of data simultaneously.
Internet of Things (IOT) is an area with applications in several areas (Tripathy & Anuradha, 2017; Tripathy & Tripathy, 2017). Many broad areas like artificial intelligence covers its applications (Panda & Tripathy, 2018). A naming convention for IoT is described in (Sooraj et al. 2017) it is indeed another area, where Quantum Computing is expected to play a major role. One of the major challenges that internet of things industry faces is security. These fancy architectures that pack dozens of IoT devices directed towards a common goal, need to be protected from all kinds of attacks. The vulnerability is not just limited to physical structure of the device, but also its functioning including the communication channel. In this chapter, the major focus lies around the security aspects of internet of things devices and how quantum computing is enhancing the security mechanisms.
The advent of quantum computers makes existing security algorithms that include encryption-decryption algorithms like DSA, RSA, and other cipher encryption mechanisms quite weak and vulnerable to security attacks. Any system that relies on public-key encryption is expected to double their current key length to immune itself from post-quantum world cybersecurity attacks. It is expected that, asymmetric algorithms based on factorization of large prime numbers would be most vulnerable. Typical AES-128 and RSA-2048 are secure against classical attacks, however, when it comes to quantum attacks, AES key length requires to be increased to provide an acceptable 128 bits of security.
Motivation and Contribution
In this increasingly interconnected world, this fusion of quantum computing and Internet of Things (IOT) devices, promises unprecedented advancements. However, with this rapid proliferation of interconnected devices, the critical issue of security remains unaddressed. Traditional cryptographic methods that power current IOT security (Mohanty, J., et al., 2021) are facing imminent threats from looming power of quantum computers. This threat calls for a profound shift in our traditional approach of securing IOT devices in network topologies. We use this motivation to address this pressing need for innovative security solutions at the intersection of quantum computing and IOT. By diving into novel quantum-enabled security mechanisms, cryptographic approaches, and defense strategies, this chapter aims to pave a way for a robust, resilient, and versatile security framework that can withstand the disruptive capabilities of quantum adversaries. As the sheer volume of data exchanged between IOT grows exponentially, traditional security mechanisms are strained. Data privacy, data integrity, and trust being a major point of concern, our research shall hold a potential to shape the future of secure and trustworthy connected environments. This research endeavor seeks to navigate the uncharted waters of quantum computing and IOT security, with the intention to safeguard our ever increasing intertwined digital ecosystem.