Toward Secure, High-Performance 10 Gigabit Ethernet: Architectural Evolution, Protocol Efficiency, and Post-Quantum Security Integration

Abstract

High-speed Ethernet has become indispensable for modern digital infrastructure, accelerating transformations across cloud computing, streaming platforms, and embedded vehicular systems. As enterprises transition from Gigabit Ethernet toward 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE), new performance, reliability, and cybersecurity challenges emerge. This research provides an extensive theoretical and analytical examination of 10 GbE, drawing on foundational literature, protocol analyses, and post-quantum cryptographic research. The study offers a deep exploration of how 10 GbE differs from traditional Gigabit Ethernet in architectural design, transmission strategies, network behavior, and deployment complexity. It examines how rising global traffic trends—especially during and after the pandemic—demand more robust upload throughput and efficient transport-layer decision-making. The research further analyzes the role of IPv6 in enabling scalability, the significance of electromagnetic interference mitigation in 10G automotive Ethernet, and the critical need to integrate lattice-based post-quantum cryptographic systems such as NTRU to safeguard against future quantum threats. Through a qualitative research methodology grounded in theoretical elaboration, this article synthesizes existing findings while extending discussions on performance bottlenecks, interference challenges, protocol vulnerabilities, scalability constraints, and architectural trade-offs. The study concludes with a discussion on future demands for hybrid high-speed networks, resilient security architectures, and emerging research frontiers in quantum-resistant Ethernet deployment.