QUBE-Crypto: Unified Quantum-Safe Framework for IoT Authentication

Abstract

The present paper presents QUBE-Crypto, a new authentication system providing an integration of three fundamental security mechanisms: Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), and blockchain. The mechanism was implemented for Internet of Things (IoT) and for this purpose, outstanding performance results were obtained. The testing on ESP32 microcontrollers is fully authenticated in 3.5 seconds us- ing only 45 mJ energy. The framework is Dilithium-5—an NIST-standardized post-quantum signature algorithm which offers 128-bits security. The blockchain offers distributed verification of identities without centralized trust with consensus latency of 8.2 seconds. While post-quantum and quantum defenses are integrated, the re- sults show that QUBE-Crypto achieves comparable performance to traditional systems while ensuring security through quantum-resistant methods that integrate identity management on a blockchain. The whole framework is suitable for resource-limited applications such as smart home sensors, industrial IoT, and medical instruments. This research offers empirical demonstration of quantum-safe authentication on embedded devices and provides a prototype for the post-quantum IoT security era.