Quantum-Resistant Security Technologies for Resource-Constrained Edge Devices: Challenges and Lightweight Countermeasures

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of quantum computing technology, IoT edge devices widely deployed in industrial settings are facing severe threats to their quantum-resistant security. This work focuses on the challenges of adapting Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) for resource-constrained environments. This work systematically identifies four critical obstacles: difficulties in physical integration due to device heterogeneity; constraints imposed by the limited computing power and storage resources of edge nodes on PQC algorithm execution; compatibility gaps between QKD/PQC and existing industrial protocols (such as Modbus and Profinet); and the engineering cost pressures associated with large-scale deployment. To address these issues, the paper proposes three synergistic lightweight countermeasures: (1) a tiered deployment architecture for quantum-safe security that accommodates device heterogeneity, enabling dynamic trade-offs between security strength and resource overhead; (2) middleware for quantum-classical hybrid network protocol coordination, ensuring seamless integration between QKD/PQC and industrial control protocols; and (3) a three-tier distributed key management mechanism (edge node, network proxy, and central system) that offloads computation- and storage-intensive tasks to high-resource nodes, thereby alleviating bottlenecks at the edge. Experimental validation within a smart manufacturing factory’s sensor network demonstrates that the proposed scheme maintains post-quantum security capabilities (with QKD integration validated at the proof-of-concept level) while reducing per-node deployment costs by approximately 92.4% compared to pure QKD solutions and by about 32% compared to pure PQC solutions, all while facilitating seamless, non-disruptive upgrades. This study indicates that lightweight algorithm design, hardware-software co-optimization, and tiered architectural deployment constitute a viable pathway for advancing IoT edge security into the quantum-safe era.