Assessment of provably secure hybrid authenticated key exchange for dual-use applications
Simon Abelard, Juan Antonio Vieira Giestinhas, Delaram Kahrobaei, Ludovic Perret, Timothy P. Spiller, Christoph Striecks · EPJ Quantum Technology · 2026
This work assesses the literature on QKD-PQC Hybrid Authenticated Key Exchange (HAKE) and related schemes, based on security proofs (e.g. availability of such a proof and underlying model), performance, and near-term implementation. We evaluate these protocols across diverse dual-use environments, ranging from strategic military SATCOM to high-value civilian infrastructure, such as banking backbones. The trade-offs among various solutions are discussed based on their Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and performance. Moreover, we identify specific use cases such as untrusted satellite nodes or long-distance terrestrial links which might require alternative measures depending on the operational requirements.