QPCASIN: A Quantum-Defended Privacy-Aware Preemptive Handover-Enabled Continuous Authentication in Space Information Networks

Research Areas: Assured Identity and Privacy

Principal Investigator: Bharat Bhargava

The Space Information Network (SIN) plays a crucial role in terrestrial communication, delivering time-bound services from ground stations to users. It relies on moving low-orbit earth (LEO) satellites for uninterrupted coverage. However, untrustworthy connectivity poses several security challenges during handover services for users maintained by the satellites. While traditional cryptographic techniques provide a degree of security, the advent of quantum computing exposes significant vulnerabilities. This work proposes a quantum-safe and continuous authentication mechanism with handover provision. The proposed authentication protocol uses post-quantum primitives of the Frodo key encapsulation mechanism, currently an approved mechanism under ISO/IEC 18033-2. It ensures privacy and ensures users’ anonymity. The security of the proposed protocol is analyzed using the quantum random oracle (QROM) model. Formal verification confirms its safety for practical adoption as a post-quantum candidate. Further, the performance evaluation shows an authentication delay and energy consumption of the proposed protocol within practical limits, making it a suitable candidate for privacy-preserved post-quantum adoption for SIN.

Personnel

Other PIs: B. Palaniswamy, A. Karati, T. -Y. Chen, A. K. Das

Representative Publications

B. Palaniswamy, A. Karati, T. -Y. Chen, A. K. Das and B. K. Bhargava, "QPCASIN: A Quantum-Defended Privacy-Aware Preemptive Handover-Enabled Continuous Authentication in Space Information Networks," in IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, vol. 20, pp. 6910-6922, 2025, doi: 10.1109/TIFS.2025.3583246. keywords: {Authentication;Protocols;Satellites;Security;Handover;Low earth orbit satellites;Cryptography;Quantum computing;Privacy;Space vehicles;Space information networks;post-quantum security;lattice cryptography;authentication;handover mechanism;formal verification;anonymity},

Keywords: 38% of satellites are used for commercial communication purposes, Abstract: The Space Information Network (SIN) plays a crucial role in terrestrial communication, and 20% of the LEO satellites are deployed for military communication [5]. Presently, and healthcare. The trend of satellite communication is ever-growing due to its high availability of service. Typically, and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) [3], and the satellites move in an orbit around the Earth [6]. Keywords assist with retrieval of results and provide a means to discovering other relevant content. Learn more. IEEE Keywords Authentication, anonymity, authentication, Authentication Protocol, Authentication Scheme, Communication Cost, communications, Cryptographic Primitives, cryptography, Current Timestamp, currently an approved mechanism under ISO/IEC 18033-2. It ensures privacy and ensures users’ anonymity. The security of the proposed protocol is analyzed using the quantum random oracle (QROM) model. Formal verification confirms its safety for practical a, delivering time-bound services from ground stations to users. It relies on moving low-orbit earth (LEO) satellites for uninterrupted coverage. However, Earth Orbit, encompassing environments, Encryption And Decryption, Formal Analysis, Formal verification, Formal verification, Geosynchronous Orbit, Ground Station, Handover, handover mechanism, including the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), Injection Attacks, Key Agreement, lattice cryptography, LEO satellites contribute to 44%. The satellite market is worth 190 billion US dollars. In the employability of LEO satellites, Low Earth Orbit, Low earth orbit satellites, making it a suitable candidate for privacy-preserved post-quantum adoption for SIN. Published in: IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security ( Volume: 20) Page(s): 6910 - 6922 Date of Publication: 25 June 2025 ISSN Information: DOI: 10.1109/T, Man-in-the-middle, Mutual Authentication, post-quantum security, Privacy, protocols, providing a broader space for communication and information exchange for humanity [1]. Developing B5G/6G networks with satellite communication infrastructure systems has emerged as a prominent subject these days [2]. Satellite communications have been the, providing reliable connectivity to users [4]. Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites serve the purpose. Among various satellites, Public Key, Quantum computing, Quantum computing, Random Oracle, Random Oracle Model, Replay Attacks, satellite communication assures 99.999% availability, Satellites, scientific inquiry, Secret Key, security, Security Parameter, Session Key, Space vehicles Index Terms Continuous Authentication, sports, Storage Cost, Terrestrial Networks, the advent of quantum computing exposes significant vulnerabilities. This work proposes a quantum-safe and continuous authentication mechanism with handover provision. The proposed authentication protocol uses post-quantum primitives of the Frodo key enca, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the performance evaluation shows an authentication delay and energy consumption of the proposed protocol within practical limits, the space information network (SIN) has become an indispensable part of modern communication systems, Time Stamp, to integrate terrestrial and space networks in support of future wireless ecosystems. Almost all nations depend on space technology for numerous sectors, untrustworthy connectivity poses several security challenges during handover services for users maintained by the satellites. While traditional cryptographic techniques provide a degree of security, User Identification, User Management Author Keywords Space information networks, users are given time-bounded services from ground stations via LEO satellites. LEO satellites can be used in two constellations, viz. delta constellation and star constellation