International Journal of Engineering
Trends and Technology

Research Article | Open Access | Download PDF
Volume 74 | Issue 9 | Year 2026 | Article Id. IJETT-V74I9P132 | DOI : https://doi.org/10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V74I9P132

The Integration of Quantum Key Distribution and Zero Trust Security in 5G Networks: A Comprehensive Review

Md Rayhan Uddin, Nur Ziadah Harun

Received Revised Accepted Published
10 Feb 2026 01 Jul 2026 18 Aug 2026 30 Sep 2026

Citation :

Md Rayhan Uddin, Nur Ziadah Harun, "The Integration of Quantum Key Distribution and Zero Trust Security in 5G Networks: A Comprehensive Review," International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT), vol. 74, no. 9, pp. 467-479, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V74I9P132

Abstract

With the rapid growth of 5G networks that introduce better speed, connectivity, and scalability than previous generation networks, new security threats have also started to arise, especially from quantum computing. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Zero Trust (ZT) have emerged as viable solutions to overcome these security issues. Previous literature has discussed the independent implementation of these two frameworks in 5G networks. However, several new studies have been proposed and examined the integration of QKD and ZTA together in the same network in order to enhance the security against quantum threats, which leaves room for a new comprehensive review that will encompass the current research and development of QKD and ZTA in 5G networks. Therefore, this paper aims to address this gap by reviewing state-of-the-art progress, implementation approaches, and drawbacks of QKD and ZTA in 5G. This review also recommends future research direction by discussing the potential implementation of QKD and ZTA integration together in 5G networks.

Keywords

Authentication, Cryptography, Dynamic Polarization, QKD, Quantum networks.

References

[1] Nguyen Huu Phuoc Dai, Lourdes Ruiz, and Rajnai Zoltan, “5G Revolution: Challenges and Opportunities,” 2021 IEEE 21st International Symposium on Computational Intelligence and Informatics (CINTI), Budapest, Hungary, pp. 211-216, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[2] Milica Pejanović-Djurišić, and Slawomir Kuklinski, “5G Security Landscape: Concept and Remaining Challenges,” 2022 30th Telecommunications Forum (TELFOR), Belgrade, Serbia, pp. 1-4, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[3] S. Sullivan et al., “5G Security Challenges and Solutions: A Review by OSI Layers,” IEEE Access, vol. 9, pp. 116294-116314, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[4] K. Sowjanya, Dhiman Saha, and Brejesh Lall, “Zero-Trust Security in 5G and Beyond Networks: An Overview,” 2025 17th International Conference on COMmunication Systems and NETworks (COMSNETS), Bengaluru, India, pp. 1230-1234, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[5] Onome Christopher Edo et al., “Zero Trust Architecture: Trend and Impacton Information Security,” International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering, vol. 12, no. 7, pp. 140-147, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[6] Miralem Mehic et al., “Quantum Key Distribution: A Networking Perspective,” ACM Computing Surveys, vol. 53, no. 5, pp. 1-41, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[7] Asier Atutxa et al., “Authentication of the QKD Classical Channel Through Post-Quantum Cryptography in a Multi-Site 5G/6G Quantum-safe Communication Network,” 2025 International Conference on Quantum Communications, Networking, and Computing (QCNC), Nara, Japan, pp. 648-654, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[8] Yuan Cao et al., “The Evolution of Quantum Key Distribution Networks: On the Road to the Qinternet,” IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 839-894, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[9] Ashutosh Dutta, and Eman Hammad, “5G Security Challenges and Opportunities: A System Approach,” 2020 IEEE 3rd 5G World Forum (5GWF), Bangalore, India, pp. 109-114, 2020.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[10] Abdul Manan et al., “Extending 5G Services with Zero Trust Security pillars: a Modular Approach,” 2022 IEEE/ACS 19th International Conference on Computer Systems and Applications (AICCSA), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, pp. 1-6, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[11] Jinxin Liu et al., “A New Realistic Benchmark for Advanced Persistent Threats in Network Traffic,” IEEE Networking Letters, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 162-166, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[12] Yuyuan Tian, and Fengming Xin, “Establishment and Performance Evaluation of Quantum-Safe 5G Fronthaul Optical Architecture,” Computers and Electrical Engineering, vol. 110, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[13] Paul Wright et al., “5G Network Slicing with QKD and Quantum-Safe Security,” Journal of Optical Communications and Networking, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 33-40, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[14] Asier Atutxa et al., “Towards a Quantum-Safe 5G: Quantum Key Distribution in Core Networks,” Computer Communications, vol. 224, pp. 145-158, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[15] Temitope Adewale, “The Role of Quantum Computing in Advancing Zero Trust Architectures for Enhanced Cyber Defense,” pp. 1-5, 2023.
[Google Scholar]

[16] Esraa M. Ghourab, Mohamed Azab, and Denis Gračanin, “A Quantum Key Distribution Routing Scheme for a Zero-Trust QKD Network System: A Moving Target Defense Approach,” Big Data and Cognitive Computing, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 1-23, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[17] Jun Lin et al., “Quantum-Enhanced Zero Trust Security: Evolution, Implementation, and Application,” 2024 International Conference on Quantum Communications, Networking, and Computing (QCNC), Kanazawa, Japanm, pp. 211-215, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[18] Aitor Brazaola-Vicario et al., “Privacy Enhanced QKD Networks: Zero Trust Relay Architecture based on Homomorphic Encryption,” Computer Networks, vol. 280, pp. 1-13, 2026.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[19] Noamen Ben Henda, “Overview on the Security in 5G Phase 2,” Journal of ICT Standardization, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 1-14, 2020,
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[20] Hisham A. Kholidy et al., “Toward Zero Trust Security IN 5G Open Architecture Network Slices,” MILCOM 2022 - 2022 IEEE Military Communications Conference (MILCOM), Rockville, MD, USA, pp. 577-582, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[21] Bhavjot Kaur, and K. Tony Joseph, “Security Challenges and Solutions in 5G Networks,” 2024 IEEE International Conference on Interdisciplinary Approaches in Technology and Management for Social Innovation (IATMSI), Gwalior, India, vol. 2, pp. 1-5, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[22] Charles H. Bennett, and Gilles Brassard, “Quantum Cryptography: Public key Distribution and Coin Tossing,” Theoretical Computer Science, vol. 560, pp. 7-11, 2014.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[23] Anastasija Trizna, and Andris Ozols, “An Overview of Quantum Key Distribution Protocols,” Information Technology and Management Science, vol. 21, pp. 37-44, 2018.
[Google Scholar]

[24] Mandeep Kumar, and Bhaskar Mondal, “A Brief Review on Quantum Key Distribution Protocols,” Multimedia Tools and Applications, vol. 84, no. 27, pp. 33267-33306, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[25] Purva Sharma et al., “Quantum Key Distribution Secured Optical Networks: A Survey,” IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society, vol. 2, pp. 2049-2083, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[26] Hoi-Kwong Lo, Marcos Curty and Kiyoshi Tamaki, “Secure Quantum key Distribution,” Nature Photonics, vol. 8, no. 8, pp. 595-604, 2014.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[27] Robert Bedington, Juan Miguel Arrazola and Alexander Ling, “Progress in Satellite Quantum key Distribution,” npj Quantum Information, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 1-13, 2017.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[28] A. Tajima et al., “Quantum key Distribution Network for Multiple Applications,” Quantum Science and Technology, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 1-22, 2017.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[29] Masahide Sasaki, “Quantum Key Distribution and its Applications,” IEEE Security and Privacy, vol. 16, no. 5, pp. 42-48, 2018.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[30] Qiang Zhang et al., “Large Scale Quantum key Distribution: Challenges and Solutions [Invited],” Optics Express, vol. 26, no. 18, pp. 24260-24273, 2018.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[31] Licheng Wang et al., “Research on Multi-Source Data Security Protection of Smart Grid based on Quantum Key Combination,” 2019 IEEE 4th International Conference on Cloud Computing and Big Data Analysis (ICCCBDA), Chengdu, China, pp. 449-453, 2019.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[32] Qiang Zhang et al., “Quantum Information Research in China,” Quantum Science and Technology, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 1-8, 2019.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[33] Leilei Huang et al., “Quantum Random Number Cloud Platform,” npj Quantum Information, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 1-7, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[34] Savo Glisic, “Quantum vs Post‐Quantum Security for Future Networks: Survey,” Cyber Security and Applications, vol. 2, pp. 1-19, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[35] Marel Alvarado et al., “A Survey on Post-Quantum Cryptography: State-of-the-art and Challenges,” arXiv preprint, pp. 1-16, 2023. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[36] Chonggang Wang, and Akbar Rahman, “Quantum-Enabled 6G Wireless Networks: Opportunities and Challenges,” IEEE Wireless Communications, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 58-69, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[37] Dimitris Zavitsanos et al., “On the QKD Integration in Converged fiber/Wireless Topologies for Secured, Low-Latency 5G/B5G Fronthaul,” Applied Sciences, vol. 10, no. 15, pp. 1-21, 2020.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[38] Dinka Milovančev et al., “High Rate CV-QKD Secured Mobile WDM Fronthaul for Dense 5G Radio Networks,” Journal of Lightwave Technology, vol. 39, no. 11, pp. 3445-3457, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[39] Ivan Vybornyi, Abderrahmen Trichili and Mohamed-Slim Alouini, “Backflash Light as a Security Vulnerability in Quantum Key Distribution Systems,” Physical Layer Security, pp. 83-97, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[40] Miralem Mehic et al., “Quantum Cryptography in 5G Networks: A Comprehensive Overview,” IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 302-346, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[41] Thu A. Pham, and Ngoc T. Dang, “Quantum Key Distribution: A Security Solution for 5G-based IoT Networks,” 2022 International Conference on Advanced Technologies for Communications (ATC), Ha Noi, Vietnam, pp. 147-152, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[42] Rahul Jain, and Srijita Kundu, “A Direct Product Theorem for Quantum Communication Complexity with Applications to Device-Independent QKD,” 2021 IEEE 62nd Annual Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science (FOCS) Denver, CO, USA, pp. 1285-1295, 2022.  
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[43] Nitin Jain et al., “Modulation Leakage Vulnerability in Continuous-Variable Quantum key Distribution,” Quantum Science and Technology, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 1-12, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[44] A.S. Trushechkin et al., “Security of the Decoy state Method for Quantum key Distribution,” Physics-Uspekhi, vol. 64, no. 1, pp. 88-102, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[45] Rupesh Kumar et al., “Experimental Vulnerability Analysis of QKD based on Attack Ratings,” Scientific Reports, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 1-12, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[46] Scott Rose et al., “Zero Trust Architecture,” NIST Special Publication, vol. 800, no. 207, pp. 1-52, 2020.
[Google Scholar]

[47] John Kindervag, “Build Security into Your Network’s DNA: The Zero Trust Network Architecture,” Forrester Research, Inc, vol. 27, pp. 1-16.  2010.
[Google Scholar]

[48] Maliha Sultana et al., “Towards Developing a Secure Medical Image Sharing System based on Zero Trust Principles and Blockchain Technology,” BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 1-10, 2020. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[49] Keyvan Ramezanpour, and Jithin Jagannath, “Intelligent Zero Trust Architecture for 5G/6G Networks: Principles, Challenges, and the role of Machine Learning in the Context of O-RAN,” Computer Networks, vol. 217, pp. 1-17, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[50] Xiaopeng TIAN, and Haohao SONG, “A Zero Trust Method based on BLP and BIBA Model,” 2021 14th International Symposium on Computational Intelligence and Design (ISCID), pp. 96-100, 2021. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[51] Nakul Ghate et al., “Advanced Zero Trust Architecture for Automating Fine-Grained access Control with Generalized Attribute Relation Extraction,” International Conference on Emerging Technologies for Communications, vol. 68, pp. 1-4, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[52] Luca Ferretti et al., “Survivable Zero Trust for Cloud Computing Environments,” Computers and Security, vol. 110, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[53] Annamalai Alagappan, Sampath Kumar Venkatachary, and Leo John Baptist Andrews, “Augmenting Zero Trust Network Architecture to Enhance Security in Virtual Power Plants,” Energy Reports, vol. 8, pp. 1309-1320, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[54] Dan Tyler, and Thiago Viana, “Trust no one? A Framework for Assisting Healthcare Organisations in Transitioning to a Zero-Trust Network Architecture,” Applied Sciences, vol. 11, no. 16, pp. 1-18, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[55] Erik Dean et al., “Toward a Zero Trust Architecture Implementation in a University Environment,” The Cyber Defense Review, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 37-48, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[56] Shan Li, Muddesar Iqbal, and Neetesh Saxena, “Future Industry Internet of Things with Zero-trust Security,” Information Systems Frontiers, vol. 26, no. 5, pp. 1653-1666, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[57] Moyan Lyu, and Junaid Farooq, “Zero Trust in 5G Networks: Principles, Challenges, and Opportunities,” 2024 Resilience Week (RWS), Austin, TX, USA, pp. 1-8, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[58] Mahnsuk Yoon et al., “Design and Implementation of a 5G Security Testbed Based on Zero Trust Architecture,” 2024 15th International Conference on Information and Communication Technology Convergence (ICTC), Jeju Island, Korea, pp. 2190-2192, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[59] Ziqing Zhu, “Q-EnergyDEX: A Zero-Trust Distributed Energy Trading Framework Driven by Quantum Key Distribution and Blockchain,” arXiv preprint arXiv, pp. 1-11, 2025. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[60] Venkatesh H, and Sashikanth Reddy Avula, “Crypto-Agile Zero-Trust Access for Multi-Cloud via SDN, with PQC-QKD Key Orchestration,” 2025 IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Distributed Systems Security (ICBDS) Kolhapur, India, pp. 1-5, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[61] Jan Krause et al., “Dynamic Rerouting and Interruption Resilience of Quantum Communication via Single-Photon-Based Resynchronization,” arXiv preprint arXiv, pp. 1-9, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[62] Chia-Wei Tsai et al., “Quantum key Distribution Networks: Challenges and Future Research Issues in Security,” Applied Sciences, vol. 11, no. 9, pp-1-15, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[63] Yongjun Ren et al., “Zero Trust Networks: Evolution and Application from Concept to Practice,” Computers, Materials and Continua, vol. 82, no. 2, pp. 1593-1613, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[64] Hua Wang, Yongli Zhao, and Avishek Nag, “Quantum-Key-Distribution (QKD) Networks Enabled by Software-Defined Networks (SDN),” Applied Sciences, vol. 9, no. 10, pp. 1-12, 2019.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[65] R.S. Tessinari, R.I. Woodward, and A.J. Shields, “Software-Defined Quantum Network using a QKD-Secured SDN Controller and Encrypted Messages,” Fiber Optical Communication Conference Optica, pp. 1-3, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]