On Mixing of Quantum Key Distribution and Post-Quantum Cryptographic Keys: Min-Entropy Bounds, Provisioning Policies, and Network-Oriented Trade-Offs
Quantum key distribution and post-quantum cryptography represent the backbone for tackling security challenges in the quantum era. Although each of them has its own shortcomings, their practical implementation raises the question of their possible combination and synergy. In this context, the paper considers mixing established cryptographic keys at key management layer, using both approaches to optimize the available key resources in a quantum network, also balancing the provided security. We provide analytical model, security analysis, and optimal contribution of keys in the mixed cryptographic key. Extensive simulation results demonstrate the validity of this approach in point-to-point and network environments.