Designing a zero-trust post-quantum encryption framework for adaptive end-to-end network security in dynamic threat environments

The advent of quantum computing poses a fundamental threat to classical encryption protocols, demanding urgent transformation in cybersecurity architectures. This study presents a U.S.-focused Zero-Trust Enabled Post-Quantum Encryption Framework (ZT-PQEF) designed to deliver adaptive end-to-end network security in dynamic threat environments. ZT-PQEF integrates NIST-standard post-quantum cryptographic algorithms (CRYSTALS-Kyber and Dilithium) with behavior-informed trust scoring, real-time key rotation, and telemetry-driven microsegmentation. A U.S. federal network simulation was used to benchmark the framework across nine performance metrics and seven critical system dimensions. Compared to conventional zero-trust and static PQC-enabled architectures, ZT-PQEF achieved a 22% improvement in cryptographic agility, reduced breach containment time by over 40%, and significantly lowered false-positive rates in behavioral anomaly detection. The framework preserved bandwidth viability and minimized resource overhead, confirming its suitability for high-throughput, resource-sensitive government deployments. These results demonstrate that ZT-PQEF delivers scalable, quantum-resilient, and policy-adaptive security, representing a critical advancement in post-quantum infrastructure protection and future-proof zero-trust implementation across the United States.