Research on Quantum Enhanced Secure Time Synchronization Protocol

Abstract

Future information networks will place higher requirements on the accuracy and reliability of time synchronization. In order to study the potential security risks of the time synchronization protocol, an experimental simulation analysis of the packet attack and delay attack of the Precise Time Protocol (PTP) is carried out. In order to solve the problem that the traditional encryption method cannot resist the delay attack of the time synchronization protocol, a quantum-enhanced secure synchronization protocol is proposed, which combines PTP with quantum key distribution technology to satisfy future network synchronization reliability requirements. On the basis of defending against message attacks by encryption, it implements detection and early warning of delay-type attacks and triggers a protection mechanism. The quantum-enhanced secure synchronization protocol can actively prevent security attacks against time synchronization protocols, and realizes secure transmission of time synchronization information.

Keywords

• time synchronization
• quantum-enhanced secure synchronization protocol
• quantum key distribution
• delay attack