Quantum Resistant Architecture

Final In-Class Presentation

At Carnegie Mellon University, four students set out to solve a problem that many still view as theoretical. The rise of quantum computing threatens to undermine the foundations of modern encryption, and the Department of Defense isn’t ready. Most systems today rely on public key cryptography that quantum algorithms could break in minutes. What the Army needed was not just a post-quantum algorithm. It needed a system that could evolve as fast as the threat.

What Was at Stake

Their sponsor was clear: secure communications systems must remain functional and protected in a post-quantum world. That doesn’t just mean switching algorithms once. It means enabling continuous cryptographic upgrades over time—without rebuilding everything from scratch.

Most current DoD platforms are brittle. Encryption schemes are hard-coded. Hardware is inflexible. And changes to algorithms often require entire system rewrites, opening operational risk and delaying deployments. In short, the DoD lacks cryptographic agility.

The Quantum Ninjas reframed the problem. Instead of proposing a single post-quantum fix, they built a modular pathway toward long-term resilience.

MVPs That Scale With the Mission

The team delivered three distinct MVPs, each targeting a key technical barrier and mapped to different TRL milestones:

• MVP 1: Post-Quantum Encryption Wrapper  A working proof-of-concept in Python that allows developers to swap between multiple PQC algorithms including Kyber, Dilithium, Falcon, and legacy RSA—without touching application you havent completed code. This early-stage prototype targeted TRL 3 by demonstrating proof-of-concept functionality in a controlled lab environment.

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• MVP 2: Dynamic Encryption Selection Interface  A simulated GUI allowing users to choose or update encryption methods in real-time during a communication session. This layer tested usability, threat model alignment, and field-deployable flexibility. It advanced into TRL 4 by validating component integration and subsystem performance under test conditions.

Together, these MVPs built a scaffold for cryptographic evolution—focusing not on a singular solution, but on ensuring systems can adapt as quantum capabilities, algorithms, and standards change.

Operators of Another Kind

The Quantum Ninjas were Swetha Thotakura, Meet Patel, Darius Taylor, and Yuvanshu Agarwal.

• Swetha Thotakura is pursuing a B.S. in Information Systems with a minor in Artificial Intelligence. She led technical development of the encryption wrapper and managed core systems architecture.

• Meet Patel, a cybersecurity professional earning his M.S. in Information Security Policy and Management, designed performance benchmarks and mapped cryptographic risks to policy implications.

• Darius Taylor, a B.S. candidate in Information Systems, brought sharp research instincts and led the team’s early-stage interviews, ensuring every prototype was grounded in stakeholder reality.

• Yuvanshu Agarwal, pursuing an M.S. in Information Systems Management with a focus on Business Intelligence, designed the dynamic user interface and led system-level modeling for satellite-ground simulation.

Individually, they brought technical skill. Together, they built a systems-level approach to one of the most complex challenges in modern defense.

Beyond Compliance

From the beginning, the team understood that quantum-safe encryption wasn’t just a compliance requirement. It was an operational necessity. Their approach went beyond standards like NIST’s PQC shortlist. They built for speed, modularity, and future interoperability.

Their sponsors validated that agility is now a priority mission need. Whether in satellite comms, soldier-carried radios, or ground control stations, encryption must become as fluid as the data it protects.

What It Meant

In the world of defense innovation, most teams look for a better lock. The Quantum Ninjas built a better way to upgrade the lock without replacing the door.

Their work modeled a path for cryptographic resilience at TRL 3–5, showing how new systems can evolve ahead of adversarial breakthroughs. The team left the course with an actionable roadmap, sponsor interest, and a clear view of what operational integration might require.

They weren’t just building encryption software. They were designing the agility the next generation of defense systems will demand.