Sarcouncil Journal of Engineering and Computer Sciences

Abstract: The modern-day cybersecurity environment is confronted with an unprecedented alignment of quantum computing-based threats and advanced phishing attacks that requires a radical overhaul of identity and access management systems. Organizations need to address existing credential-based issues simultaneously while future-proofing against quantum-age cryptographic obsolescence. This article explores holistic authentication solutions combining post-quantum cryptographic algorithms, phishing-resistant authentication mechanisms, and ongoing behavioral verification systems in Zero Trust frameworks. CRYSTALS-Dilithium, FALCON, SPHINCS+, and CRYSTALS-Kyber schemes offer mathematically established quantum adversary resistance with practical implementation for enterprise ecosystems. FIDO2 and WebAuthn standards remove credential theft vectors through domain-binding crypto protocols and hardware-secret protection techniques. Behavioral biometrics support continuous identity authentication by keystroke dynamics, mouse movement, and mobile interaction analysis that are able to detect unauthorized attempts at access without interfering with legitimate user workflows. Zero Trust integration demands advanced policy engines that can handle quantum-safe operations without compromising on performance thresholds acceptable for organizational productivity. The convergence schedule introduces essential implementation windows where late adoption invites disastrous security breaches as quantum capability progresses and classical cryptographic defenses no longer work across worldwide digital infrastructure.