A Review of Digital Educational Platforms Security: A Quantum and Artificial Intelligence-Based Approach

The global growth in the use of digital educational platforms has exposed these platforms to various security risks. As such, there is heightened need for robust security and privacy solutions, especially in the face of quantum computing algorithms that can break some of the conventional cryptographic techniques. Unfortunately, even the modern networked systems rely heavily on these obsolete cryptographic operations for security protection. Across the world, educational infrastructures are increasingly dependent upon distributed cloud and fog technologies at local and global levels. As such, the cloud and fog computing paradigms handle sensitive academic records, identities, and intellectual property. However, the majority of the security measures deployed in these platforms have been shown to be susceptible to numerous security risks, including quantum-based attacks. This paper explores the design of quantum-secured networks, presenting crucial insights regarding forensics and security gaps that require immediate attention. The findings indicate that these network designs incorporate post-quantum cryptographic primitives, quantum-resistant authentication protocols, and decentralized trust models. As such, this paper recommends the use of quantum-secured educational networks, comprising of lattice-based post-quantum cryptography and hash-based post-quantum cryptography. Furthermore, recent approaches such as artificial intelligence-based behavioural authentication, adaptive role-based access control, and blockchain-based interoperable auditability must be deployed. In our work, we examine the network structure using the principle of classical and quantum adversarial threats. The major focus is on data protection provisions and traceability. Ultimately, this paper makes key contributions to formal security taxonomy, provides an integrated post-quantum architectural model, and identifies open challenges.