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Providing assurance for the next generation of quantum security

Artists impression of a global quantum network. Against a dark background the northern hemisphere of the world is shown, linked with blue communication lines

Global communications networks

The world’s cybersecurity currently uses cryptographic keys which may become ineffectual with the advent of quantum computers

The ability to organise and control individual particles and quasi-particles that are governed by quantum physics is leading to the development of quantum computers with vastly increased speed and processing power compared with conventional ones. Whilst this will bring many benefits, these computers will have the ability to decrypt data and messages that are currently considered as secure.

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is a quantum-photonic technology that uses single photons of light to generate and distribute encryption keys. These keys can be used to secure private communications. QKD is secure against attacks from future quantum computers but its vulnerability lies in its hardware implementation.

This vulnerability was addressed by the EMPIR project Metrology for testing the implementation security of quantum key distribution hardware (19NRM06, MeTISQ) which developed robust, SI-traceable measurements to characterise quantum key distribution systems and technologies.
An early output from the project was integrating Time and Frequency distribution with QKD systems into the Italian Quantum Backbone, an 1800 km metrological infrastructure used as a testbed to develop novel technologies.

White paper on the security of Key Distribution Technology

Project partners NPL, the National Metrology Institute of the UK, and Toshiba Europe Limited worked together to develop a set of tests to measure the primary hardware parameters that are critical to QKD security. For this Toshiba provided a standard QKD system upon which NPL could independently perform laboratory measurements. This included assessing both QKD Transmitter and Receiver modules which are part of a typical QKD communication link. The tests covered a range of parameters considered to be critically important - such as the light intensity, or photon flux, which has to be precisely set within the single-photon regime in order to achieve the quantum mechanical phenomena upon which QKD’s security is built. In all cases, the data collected by NPL validated the technical specification of Toshiba’s QKD hardware.

The results of this independent test have been published in a mini-white paper Independent Security Evaluation of Toshiba Quantum Key Distribution Technology. The paper, also available on the Toshiba website, identified new approaches for evaluating QKD hardware, which will help bolster trust in QKD systems and paves the way for further activities to fully validate the security of a QKD system.

Many of the outputs are already suitable for integration into standards being prepared by ETSI ISG QKD, ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27, and CEN/CLC/JTC22 and is a vital step in protecting the security of our digital infra-structure in the years to come.

The coordinator of the project Marco Gramegna (INRIM) said about the work with Toshiba:

“The independent evaluation of Toshiba QKD technology by NPL is an important step towards QKD product security assurance and demonstrates the ability of National Metrology Institutes to develop cutting-edge measurements to support the commercialisation of new quantum technologies. This work builds upon a long collaboration between European NMIs, quantum communication vendors and academia, developed through projects funded by successive EURAMET metrology programmes.”

This EMPIR project was co-funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the EMPIR Participating States.

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