A Post-Quantum Hybrid Encryption Framework for Securing Biometric Data in Consumer Electronics

Biometric authentication is increasingly common in consumer electronics, including smartphones, smartwatches, and IoT devices, due to its convenience and strong security features. However, protecting the privacy and integrity of biometric data is essential because of its highly sensitive nature. This paper presents a Post-Quantum Hybrid Encryption Framework to protect biometric data from traditional and potentially quantum computing threats. The framework uses X25519 for secure key exchange, AES-GCM for efficient and authenticated encryption, and SHA-3 for integrity verification, ensuring strong protection while optimizing performance for resource-constrained devices. The methodology improves biometric system security by combining quantum-resistant cryptography, efficient encryption, and strong hashing techniques. X25519 allows for secure key exchange resistant to quantum threats, AES-GCM provides fast encryption with built-in integrity verification, and SHA-3 ensures the authenticity of biometric data. Experiments show that the proposed framework outperforms conventional methods. X25519 cuts key exchange time by 70% compared to RSA. Compared to AES-CBC, AES-GCM offers 50% faster encryption and decryption speeds. With a 99.9% accuracy rate, SHA-3 performs better than SHA-2 at identifying tampered biometric data. The FVC2002 Fingerprint Dataset, which comprises a variety of fingerprint samples frequently used in biometric authentication research, was used to test the framework. The study shows that the proposed solution provides robust, quantum-resistant security for biometric data while performing exceptionally well in practical applications. The findings show that this framework effectively addresses the cybersecurity challenges posed by emerging quantum computing threats while improving performance on resource-constrained devices