Securing semantic communications through full-lifecycle data provenance: A quantum-enhanced labeling architecture
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Semantic communication, which prioritizes the transmission of meaning rather than raw bit streams, is regarded as a foundational paradigm for 6G and future intelligent networks. However, this shift beyond packet-centric architectures disrupts traditional security boundaries, exposing semantic content, data provenance, and transmission paths to heightened risks of forgery, tampering, and privacy leakage. To ensure high-quality, legitimate, and secure data governance across the entire lifecycle, this article proposes a quantum-enhanced data labeling architecture (QEDLA). By coupling the physical unclonability of quantum true randomness with semantic understanding, QEDLA generates unique and unpredictable quantum semantic labels for multimodal data and their originating devices. At the data generation stage, labels establish an explicit and trustworthy binding between data objects and their intrinsic attributes. During transmission, a label-aware model that accounts for channel characteristics guarantees reliable label delivery, consistency verification, and precise traffic identification. At the governance stage, automated label verification and detachment enable fine-grained traceability of large-scale data flows. Through systematic design principles and key protocols spanning generation, transmission, and governance, and validated via a representative cooperative perception scenario in vehicular networks, QEDLA offers a practical pathway toward trustworthy, traceable, and efficient semantic communication systems.
Keywords
semantic communication, information security, quantum-enhanced labeling, data provenance, trustworthy data governance, vehicular networks
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
ISSN
08908044
Publication Title
IEEE Network
Publisher
IEEE
School
School of Engineering
Funding Information
National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Number: 62361011) / National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Number: 62462012) / National Research and Development Programs of China (Grant Number: 2025YFB3109801) / Guizhou Provincial Science and Technology Plan Project (Grant Number: DXGA[2025]003) / Guizhou Provincial / Science and Technology Plan Project (Grant Number: DXGA[2025]011) / Guizhou Province Scientist Workstation (Grant Number: KXJZ[2025]005) / Guizhou Province Science and Technology Innovation Platform (Grant Number: JSZX(2025)020) / Shanghai Pujiang Programme (Grant Number: 24PJD117)
Copyright
subscription content
Content Type
Metadata only
Recommended Citation
Zou, S., Zou, Y., Liwang, M., Gao, H., Ni, W., & Jamalipour, A. (2026). Securing semantic communications through full-lifecycle data provenance: A quantum-enhanced labeling architecture. IEEE Network. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1109/MNET.2026.3700610