Next-Generation Security for Critical Infrastructures: Advancing Privacy, Resilience, and Post-Quantum Protection

Critical infrastructures, such as energy grids, transportation systems, healthcare, finance, and communication networks form the backbone of modern societies. As these infrastructures become more interconnected and reliant on digital technologies, their susceptibility to sophisticated cyberattacks, large-scale privacy violations, and systemic disruptions has significantly increased. Besides, the rise of quantum computing introduces further complexity, potentially rendering many current cryptographic mechanisms obsolete and leaving critical systems exposed to future quantum-enabled attacks.

This research topic aims to shape the future of secure, privacy-aware, and quantum-resilient systems that safeguard the critical infrastructures —the foundational pillars of modern society. In particular, it emphasizes post-quantum cryptography, adaptive system resilience, privacy-aware architectures, lightweight encryption, and AI-driven threat detection that can withstand both classical and quantum-era threats. Contributions that bridge theoretical advancements and real-world deployment, particularly those addressing the transition to quantum-resilient infrastructures, are strongly encouraged.

This research topic invites researchers and practitioners to submit original research, insightful reviews, advanced methodological studies, and case reports that push the boundaries of current knowledge and drive transformative innovation in the security, privacy, and resilience of critical infrastructures, especially in post-quantum era.

Suggested Themes include, but are not limited to:

- Post-Quantum Cryptographic Protocols for Critical Infrastructure

- Hybrid Classical-Quantum Security Models for Critical Infrastructure

- Cyber Resilience and Zero-Trust Security for Critical Infrastructure

- Privacy-Preserving Architectures and Secure Data Sharing

- Resilient System Design Against Cyber-Physical Attacks

- Migration Strategies from Classical to Post-Quantum Encryption

- Lightweight Quantum-Resistant Protocols for Edge and IoT Systems

- AI and Federated Learning for Threat Detection and Adaptive Defense

- Quantum-Resilient Key Management and Authentication

- Secure Communication in IoT and Edge-Enabled Infrastructure

- Cybersecurity Policies, Standards, and Risk Assessment in the Post-Quantum Era

- Threat Modelling and Risk Assessment in Quantum-Adversarial Contexts

Keywords: Post-Quantum Cryptography, Critical Infrastructure Protection, Cyber Resilience, Privacy Preservation, Quantum Threats, Secure IoT, Cyber-Physical Systems, Authentication Protocols, Federated Learning, Quantum-Resistant Key Exchange, Secure Architecture

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.