The advancements in quantum computers threaten to render obsolete the public-key cryptography currently deployed to protect our digital infrastructures. A new generation of cryptography, known as quantum-resistant cryptography, offers two complementary approaches to mitigate the quantum risk. On the one hand, post-quantum cryptography (PQC) relies on new mathematical problems that are potentially resistant to quantum computers. On the other, quantum cryptography, which includes quantum key distribution (QKD), leverages the properties of quantum physics to ensure unconditional security, surpassing that of PQC. However, QKD has practical limitations, such as the need for specific infrastructure or restrictions on transmission distances.
Fully hybrid cryptography, as referred to here, describes the approach of combining these two methods with classical cryptography. In collaboration with Orange and the QI team at LIP6, this project aims to propose new protocols for fully hybrid cryptography and integrate them into existing infrastructures.