ISO/IEC 23837 - Security Requirements for Quantum Key Distribution

Specify assurance requirements covering development, guidance, life-cycle support, tests, and vulnerability assessment for this distribution method.

• Assurance plan
• Life-cycle records
• Vulnerability assessment reports

• Vulnerability assessment shallow
• Life-cycle records incomplete

Authenticate the classical channel used for sifting and reconciliation so an attacker cannot impersonate either endpoint.

• Pre-shared key procedure
• Authentication algorithm specification
• Key refresh logs

• Initial trust bootstrap undocumented
• Authentication keys not refreshed

Defines the scope of security evaluation of QKD under the ISO/IEC 15408 series framework

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

References to ISO/IEC 15408 series, ISO/IEC 19790, and related cryptographic module standards

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Terminology specific to quantum key distribution security evaluation

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Defines scope of guidelines for organizational privacy risk management extended from ISO 31000:2018

• Privacy risk assessment
• Scope statement
• Definitions glossary
• Reference catalog

• Scope ambiguous
• Reference list incomplete
• Definitions inconsistent
• No baseline assessment

References to ISO 31000:2018, ISO/IEC 27005, and ISO/IEC 29100

• Privacy risk assessment
• Scope statement
• Definitions glossary
• Reference catalog

• Scope ambiguous
• Reference list incomplete
• Definitions inconsistent
• No baseline assessment

Privacy risk management terminology including PII, privacy event, and organizational privacy risk

• Privacy risk assessment
• Scope statement
• Definitions glossary
• Reference catalog

• Scope ambiguous
• Reference list incomplete
• Definitions inconsistent
• No baseline assessment

Structural analysis of the security functionality of QKD modules

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Classification framework for QKD protocols to facilitate analysis of security functional requirements

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Analysis of security problems that QKD modules can face in their operational environment

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Baseline security functional requirements for conventional network components of QKD modules

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

SFRs characterized under the framework of ISO/IEC 15408 and referring to ISO/IEC 19790 methodology

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Requirements aligned with standards on testing of cryptographic modules and network devices

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Security functional requirements specific to quantum optical components in QKD modules

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Requirements for security of single-photon and entangled-photon sources

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Requirements for protecting the quantum channel against side-channel attacks and eavesdropping

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Security functional requirements for the entire implementation of QKD protocols

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Requirements for error correction, privacy amplification, and key verification processes

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Security requirements for classical communication channels used in QKD post-processing

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Provide preparative and operational guidance enabling secure installation, configuration, operation, and decommissioning.

• Installation guide
• Operational guide
• Decommissioning procedure

• Operational guide lacks failure modes
• Decommissioning steps missing

Handle incidents affecting the modules including key compromise scenarios with defined notification and key replacement procedures.

• Incident response plan
• Key replacement procedure
• Notification records

• No key replacement procedure
• Notifications informal

Integrate the modules with existing key consumers and network management without weakening the assurance achieved.

• Integration architecture
• Interface specifications
• Threat model for integration

• Management plane exposed
• Integration threat model missing

Manage the lifecycle of keys produced by the module, including delivery to consumers, storage, rotation, and destruction.

• Key management procedure
• Consumer interface specification
• Destruction records

• Keys held longer than needed
• Destruction not verifiable

Manage the module life-cycle from design through end-of-life including patching and surveillance of fielded units.

• Life-cycle plan
• Patch records
• Surveillance reports

• Field surveillance absent
• Patches require full re-evaluation

Monitor operational parameters such as detector counts, error rates, and timing to detect anomalies indicating attack or drift.

• Monitoring thresholds
• Anomaly alerts
• Incident response records

• No thresholds for error rate excursions
• Alerts not actioned

Test and evaluation methods for security functional requirements on QKD protocol implementation

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Test and evaluation methods for security of quantum optical components

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Test and evaluation methods for security of conventional network components in QKD modules

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Mapping of evaluation assurance levels to QKD module security assessment criteria

• Security target
• Protection profile
• Evaluation report
• Component test plan

• Component scope undefined
• Side-channel testing absent
• Authentication weak
• Protocol implementation deviates

Characterise photon source and detector behaviour to confirm that emitted and measured states match the security proof assumptions.

• Source characterisation report
• Detector test data
• Calibration records

• Side-channel emissions unmeasured
• Detector efficiency mismatch not quantified

Protect the physical-layer key distribution modules against tamper, unauthorised access, and environmental attacks.

• Tamper evidence design
• Enclosure test reports
• Access logs

• Tamper detection not active
• Environmental thresholds undefined

Document error correction algorithm and parameters, including leaked information accounted for in privacy amplification.

• Algorithm specification
• Parameter tables
• Leakage accounting

• Leakage underestimated
• Parameters drift without re-evaluation

Apply privacy amplification with hash families and output lengths consistent with the calculated information available to an adversary.

• Hash family specification
• Output length justification
• Implementation tests

• Output length not tied to leakage estimate
• Hash family weakly justified

Map the implementation parameters to the assumptions of the underlying security proof and identify deviations.

• Proof reference
• Parameter mapping document
• Deviation register

• Deviations not assessed for impact
• Proof citations missing

Verify random number generation used for basis choice and post-processing meets entropy and statistical requirements.

• RNG design document
• Entropy estimation
• Test suite results

• Entropy source not characterised
• Health tests not continuous

Capture the security functional requirements for physical-layer key distribution modules, including key generation, sifting, error correction, and privacy amplification.

• Security functional requirements document
• Traceability matrix
• Design rationale

• Privacy amplification parameters not justified
• Traceability gaps to design

Apply a defined secure development process including configuration management, flaw remediation, and developer testing.

• Development process documentation
• Configuration management plan
• Flaw remediation log

• Configuration baselines drift
• Flaw remediation untimely

Define the target of evaluation including the physical-layer key distribution modules, optical interfaces, and supporting classical control plane in scope.

• TOE description
• Architecture diagram
• Interface inventory

• Control plane excluded from scope
• Optical interfaces undocumented

Assess resistance to side-channel attacks including detector blinding, time-shift, wavelength, and trojan-horse attacks on this distribution method.

• Side-channel assessment report
• Countermeasure design
• Test logs

• Trojan-horse countermeasure absent
• Detector blinding not tested

Use defined test methods to evaluate conformance of modules to the functional and assurance requirements.

• Test plans
• Test reports
• Evaluator competence records

• Tests not repeatable
• Evaluator independence not demonstrated

Conduct independent vulnerability analysis focusing on optical, electronic, and protocol-level attacks against this distribution method.

• Vulnerability analysis report
• Attack catalogue
• Residual risk register

• Analysis limited to documentation review
• Residual risk not communicated to operators