Post-Quantum Cryptography for FANETs: Evaluation and Comparative Analysis of Key Encapsulation Mechanisms

In February of this year, Microsoft released their Majorana 1, a quantum computing unit using topological qubits. Quantum computing is threatening to undermine traditional encryption techniques, and UAV technologies are promising to improve farming, city management, and search and rescue. It is therefore important for us to assess the impact of post-quantum encryption on FANETs as a matter of urgency. This research is the first known to the authors to address KEMs within a FANET setting. This research uses UB-ANC, a NS3-based UAV network simulation technology, and liboqs, a quantum security library, to evaluate the preparedness of FANETs for encryption in this new paradigm. Each of these KEMs are assessed on 3 points: number of successful key exchanges, throughput, and time to complete the key exchange. Beginning by completing a number of exchanges on FANETs of 4, 10 and 20 static UAVs to establish potential candidates, then run 30 minute survey missions on each of those candidates at each network size. These algorithms are evaluated both as KEMs intended to be used in hybrid encryption, and as public key encryption schemes. Evidence is found that Kyber and ML-KEM are both feasible solutions, at all security levels within applications, which require a less than 32 bytes to be transmitted within a single exchange. Evidence that BIKE, at lower security levels, or within smaller UAV networks, is a functional solution is also found. Ultimately, it is our belief that there is promise within hybrid encryption for FANETs, but the use of KEMs as public key encryption is not yet feasible.