Photonic signals are tagged with a pre-selected modification, such as a polarization signature to carry data across an obstructed path between sender and receiver. Communication authentication through polarization variation allows for Yuen-Kumar or entangled photon quantum communication protocols to propagate through environmental scattering media such as air, smoke, fog, rain, and water. While ultraviolet light photons are well suited as a carrier for quantum communication signals scattered in air, it is appreciated that visible wavelengths have longer propagation paths in water to convey non-line-of-sight data. A secure signal is scattered by the media and simultaneously communicated to a single recipient or multiple recipients exposed to scattered signal portions. A process of solving the scattering processes through a random scattering media is provided to reconstruct a quantum keyed message at a receiver. The scattering of the signal is utilized herein to provide non-line-of-sight and intentional short-range communication.