Quantum-Resistant Cybersecurity Mechanisms for Next-Generation Internet of Things and Information Technology Infrastructures

Abstract

The impending realization of cryptographically relevant quantum computers (CRQCs) presents an existential threat to modern cybersecurity paradigms safeguarding the Internet of Things (IoT) and enterprise Information Technology (IT) infrastructures. Traditional asymmetric cryptosystems— including RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC)—rely on mathematical problems easily solvable in polynomial time via Shor's algorithm on quantum hardware. To avoid systemic security failure across industrial IoT, edge computing, and cloud frameworks, the global cybersecurity ecosystem is transitioning toward Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). However, deploying quantum-resistant algorithms across resource-constrained IoT nodes and legacy IT networks introduces critical engineering challenges regarding computational overhead, RAM footprints, energy draw, bandwidth expansion, and hardware integration. This review paper critically evaluates state-of-the-art quantum-resistant mechanisms, focusing on National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including ML-KEM (CRYSTALS-Kyber), ML-DSA (CRYSTALS-Dilithium), and SLH-DSA (SPHINCS+). We systematically analyze theoretical foundations, algorithmic performance, hybrid migration frameworks, and physical side-channel vulnerabilities in edge deployments. Furthermore, this study delivers quantitative comparative benchmarks across 8-bit and 32-bit embedded platforms, identifies research gaps in legacy interoperability, and formulates a strategic roadmap for engineering scalable quantum-safe IT-IoT ecosystems.

KEYWORDS: Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC); Internet of Things (IoT); Lattice-based Cryptography; NIST Standardization; Hybrid Cryptographic Protocols; Quantum Key Distribution (QKD).