Integration of Quantum Key Distribution in the TLS Protocol

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) or quantum cryptography has been developed within the last decade; it is proved that QKD is secure against computer attacks and it is considered as a promising solution towards absolute security within long-term cryptosystems. Currently, research efforts are required to make strongly secure the existing communication protocols; the authors suggest as an issue to improve their security levels by integrating QKD. In this paper, they explore the possibility of using QKD for Local Area Networks (LAN); they propose thus a scheme for integrating quantum cryptography in the TLS protocol. This will much contribute to enhance the process of authentication and data encryption. They present also an example to illustrate the feasibility of the scheme's implementation.