Balancing Robustness and Efficiency: A Performance–Security Model for Post Quantum Cryptography in Edge IoT Ecosystems

Abstract

The impending realization of quantum computing is a threat to the underlying security model of traditional cryptographic infrastructure, especially on the one based on Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing setups. The post quantum cryptography (PQC) provides quantum resistant protocols that ensure quantum security against a combination of both classical and future quantum attackers, but adopting this technology in edge IoT ecosystems faces serious challenges in terms of resource limitations of low power devices. The paper suggests a performance-security model of PQC in edge IoT explaining the tradeoff between cryptographic robustness and operation efficiency. This model is a synthesis of empirical research in the recent field which looking at the performance of PQC algorithms on limited hardware, the integration issue with lightweight communication protocols, and strategic options such as algorithm optimization, hardware acceleration, hybrid cryptographic schemes, and offloading methods. The objectives of these strategies are to achieve the acceptable latency and energy consumption with the guarantee of quantum resilient security. The framework proposed helps decision making among researchers and practitioners who aim at implementing PQC on distributed resource limited IoT networks. Lastly, the paper also determines the research gaps and future directions to the achievement of scalable, efficient, and robust PQC enabled edge IoT ecosystems.