Quantum Cryptography and AI: Security in the Post-Quantum Era

COURSE UNIT 1. FUNDAMENTALS OF CRYPTOGRAPHY AND INFORMATION SECURITY Basic concepts of cryptography Classical encryption systems and their history Principles of information security Current threats, vulnerabilities, and challenges TEACHING UNIT 2. PRINCIPLES OF QUANTUM COMPUTING Basic concepts of quantum physics for computing The qubit: unit of quantum information Superposition, entanglement, and measurement Quantum gates and basic logical operations TEACHING UNIT 3. QUANTUM THREATS TO CLASSICAL CRYPTOGRAPHY Vulnerability of classical systems to quantum computing Quantum algorithms that threaten current cryptography Impact on public-key/private-key systems Challenges of migrating to post-quantum cryptography TEACHING UNIT 4. POST-QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY Foundations and goals of post-quantum cryptography Major families of post-quantum algorithms Differences and benefits compared to traditional algorithms Standardization, applications, and current challenges TEACHING UNIT 5. NIST STANDARDS AND THE POST-QUANTUM TRANSITION NIST’s process and phases for post-quantum standardization Technical analysis of the NIST finalist algorithms Transition strategies and real-world deployment Use cases, pilot projects, and migration challenges TEACHING UNIT 6. QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION (QKD) Physical foundations of quantum key distribution The BB84 protocol and its variants Practical applications and QKD networks Integration of QKD with classical and post-quantum cryptography LEARNING UNIT 7. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN CRYPTOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS Fundamentals of analytical cryptography and its connection to AI Applications of AI in auditing and discovering cryptographic vulnerabilities AI in cryptanalysis and encrypted pattern recognition Risks, ethics, and mitigation in cryptographic analysis using AI TEACHING UNIT 8. APPLICATIONS AND REAL-WORLD SCENARIOS OF POST-QUANTUM SECURITY Current Situation and the Need for Post-Quantum Security Real-World Examples of Post-Quantum Technologies in Critical Sectors Integration of QKD, Post-Quantum Algorithms, and AI in Hybrid Security Environments Technical, Economic, and Regulatory Challenges in the Transition to Post-Quantum Infrastructures