Hybrid Post-Quantum Secure Authentication Using Quantum-Generated One-Time Tokens: A Comparative Analysis with Classical Authentication Systems

The rapid advancement of quantum computing poses a serious threat to classical authentication mechanisms that rely on computational hardness assumptions and software-based randomness. Traditional authentication systems such as passwords, one-time passwords (OTPs), and public-key cryptography depend heavily on pseudorandom number generators (PRNGs) and classical cryptographic algorithms, many of which are vulnerable to future quantum attacks. This paper proposes and analyzes a Hybrid Post-Quantum Secure Authentication system using Quantum-Generated One-Time Tokens (Q-OTT). The proposed approach combines true quantum randomness obtained from Quantum Random Number Generators (QRNGs) with post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms for token protection and verification. A detailed comparison between classical authentication systems and the hybrid Q-OTT approach is presented in terms of randomness, security, entropy, and quantum resistance. The study demonstrates that hybrid Q-OTT systems offer significantly enhanced security against both classical and quantum adversaries, at the cost of moderate infrastructure requirements.