Abstract

With quantum computing nearing practical implementation in 2025, concerns over the vulnerability of classical cryptographic algorithms in cloud networking have intensified. This research addresses the urgent need for quantum-resilient communication protocols in federated and multi-tenant cloud environments. The study explores the integration of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) into cloud-native networking layers, focusing on protocols such as TLS 1.3, IPsec, and gRPC. It also investigates the performance trade-offs, key management challenges, and compliance implications of transitioning to PQC in large-scale, geographically distributed cloud systems. A hybrid implementation model is proposed, blending classical and quantum-safe algorithms to ensure forward secrecy and interoperability during the migration phase. Experimental results suggest that lattice-based and hash-based key exchange mechanisms can be integrated into existing protocols with acceptable performance overhead and minimal disruption.