Patent ID: 8559640

Claim:
A method of integrating quantum key distribution with Internet key exchange protocol, wherein the method comprises: exchanging quantum-shared secret index from a cryptographic key database in Phase 1 of the Internet key exchange protocol between an initiator and a responder; integrating a number of quantum-shared secrets from the cryptographic key database with a classic shared secret using a predetermined operation mode in Phase 2 of the Internet key exchange protocol to generate an array of security associations to be used by the initiator and the responder during a single Internet key exchange session, wherein integrating a number of quantum-shared secrets from the cryptographic key database with a classic shared secret using a predetermined operation mode in Phase 2 of the Internet key exchange protocol to generate the array of security associations to be used by the initiator and the responder during a single Internet key exchange session comprises: the initiator sending to the responder: a value, Q_ID, representing the quantum-shared secret index; a value N, indicating the number of quantum-shared secrets; and a value, Q_Mode, indicating the predetermined operation mode, the value Q_mode specifically indicating one of a Direct Mode suitable for QKD systems that generate quantum-shared secrets at a higher rate and a quantum bit error rate (QBER) of the quantum channel is substantially low or a Combinatorial Mode, suitable to support quantum channels with high quantum bit error rate (QBER), which results in a lower quantity of quantum-shared secrets being generated; in response, the initiator receiving from the responder a value, Q_Stat, indicating a status of the array of security associations generated; and managing inbound and outbound of the array of security associations in a security association database using a database structure.