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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2026
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.11820 |
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| _version_ | 1866911442667569152 |
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| author | Gupta, Neha Alimohammadi, Hamed Shojafar, Mohammad Mi, De Bhutta, Muhammad N. M. |
| author_facet | Gupta, Neha Alimohammadi, Hamed Shojafar, Mohammad Mi, De Bhutta, Muhammad N. M. |
| contents | The Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) offers flexibility and innovation but introduces unique security vulnerabilities, particularly from cryptographically relevant quantum computers. While Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) is the primary scalable defence, its computationally intensive handshakes create a significant bottleneck for the RAN control plane, posing sustainability challenges. This paper proposes an energy-aware framework to solve this PQC bottleneck, ensuring quantum resilience without sacrificing operational energy efficiency. The system employs an O-RAN aligned split: a Crypto Policy rApp residing in the Non-Real-Time (Non-RT) RIC defines the strategic security envelope (including PQC suites), while a Security Operations Scheduling (SOS) xApp in the Near-RT RIC converts these into tactical timing and placement intents. Cryptographic enforcement remains at standards-compliant endpoints: the Open Fronthaul utilizes Media Access Control Security (MACsec) at the O-DU/O-RU, while the xhaul (midhaul and backhaul) utilizes IP Security (IPsec) at tunnel terminators. The SOS xApp reduces PQC overhead by batching non-urgent handshakes, prioritizing session resumption, and selecting parameters that meet slice SLAs while minimizing joules per secure connection. We evaluate the architecture via a Discrete-Event Simulation (DES) using 3GPP-aligned traffic profiles and verified hardware benchmarks from literature. Results show that intelligent scheduling can reduce per-handshake energy by approximately 60 percent without violating slice latency targets. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_11820 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Solving the Post-Quantum Control Plane Bottleneck: Energy-Aware Cryptographic Scheduling in Open RAN Gupta, Neha Alimohammadi, Hamed Shojafar, Mohammad Mi, De Bhutta, Muhammad N. M. Cryptography and Security Systems and Control The Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) offers flexibility and innovation but introduces unique security vulnerabilities, particularly from cryptographically relevant quantum computers. While Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) is the primary scalable defence, its computationally intensive handshakes create a significant bottleneck for the RAN control plane, posing sustainability challenges. This paper proposes an energy-aware framework to solve this PQC bottleneck, ensuring quantum resilience without sacrificing operational energy efficiency. The system employs an O-RAN aligned split: a Crypto Policy rApp residing in the Non-Real-Time (Non-RT) RIC defines the strategic security envelope (including PQC suites), while a Security Operations Scheduling (SOS) xApp in the Near-RT RIC converts these into tactical timing and placement intents. Cryptographic enforcement remains at standards-compliant endpoints: the Open Fronthaul utilizes Media Access Control Security (MACsec) at the O-DU/O-RU, while the xhaul (midhaul and backhaul) utilizes IP Security (IPsec) at tunnel terminators. The SOS xApp reduces PQC overhead by batching non-urgent handshakes, prioritizing session resumption, and selecting parameters that meet slice SLAs while minimizing joules per secure connection. We evaluate the architecture via a Discrete-Event Simulation (DES) using 3GPP-aligned traffic profiles and verified hardware benchmarks from literature. Results show that intelligent scheduling can reduce per-handshake energy by approximately 60 percent without violating slice latency targets. |
| title | Solving the Post-Quantum Control Plane Bottleneck: Energy-Aware Cryptographic Scheduling in Open RAN |
| topic | Cryptography and Security Systems and Control |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.11820 |