Synergizing Quantum Cryptography and Post-Quantum Cryptography: A New Era of Ultra-Secure Data Transmission

Quantum Cryptography (QC) is a newer method of ultra-secure key transmission that relies more on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocols. On the contrary, Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) is concerned about the high-security encryption of data that uses algorithms like the Kyber algorithm. However, both face unique challenges: QC requires costly QKD hardware, offers limited scalability due to point-to-point communication, and is vulnerable to physical attacks like side-channel and denial-of-service exploits, while PQC is resource-intensive, prone to latency issues, and faces uncertainties regarding future quantum algorithms that may compromise its security. Some challenges that QC and PQC face are overcome by merging both of them for the hybrid approach. This review explores synergy between QC and PQC, proposing a hybrid solution for combining QKD-based secure key exchange with the PQC quantum-resistant encryption capability. This integration delivers robust, future-proof communication with protection against both classical and quantum threats.