The paper I co-authored (“A Critical Analysis of Deployed Use Cases for Quantum Key Distribution and Comparison with Post-Quantum Cryptography”) was accepted for publication by “EPJ Quantum Technology” today. 😊

You can find the preprint here, Nick will eventually update it with the final changes.

In short: We looked into existing use-cases for
#QuantumKeyDistribution and whether they make any sense and did so as a joint team between people with a QKD-background and cryptographers who started out very critical of QKD. (I’m firmly in the latter camp.)

My personal summary (though some of my co-authors won’t share it to this extend):
#QKD is bullshit and not useful for practical purposes as it stands.

#crypto #cryptography #cryptology #postquantumcrypto #PQC
A Critical Analysis of Deployed Use Cases for Quantum Key Distribution and Comparison with Post-Quantum Cryptography

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is currently being discussed as a technology to safeguard communication in a future where quantum computers compromise traditional public-key cryptosystems. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive security evaluation of QKD-based solutions, focusing on real-world use cases sourced from academic literature and industry reports. We analyze these use cases, assess their security and identify the possible advantages of deploying QKD-based solutions. We further compare QKD-based solutions with Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), the alternative approach to achieving security when quantum computers compromise traditional public-key cryptosystems, evaluating their respective suitability for each scenario. Based on this comparative analysis, we critically discuss and comment on which use cases QKD is suited for, considering factors such as implementation complexity, scalability, and long-term security. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the role QKD could play in future cryptographic infrastructures and offer guidance to decision-makers considering the deployment of QKD.

IACR Cryptology ePrint Archive

I was just ranting about #QKD in a chat with someone, when I compared quantum-resiliant cryptography with quantum key distribution like this, and noticed that I really like this summary:

If you want to go 500 meter down the street you can either take your bike or call a helicopter to your place, have it hover over your home, climb up a rope ladder, have it fly you those 500 meters and dis-rope.Both of these get you to your destination, but one of them is faster, cheaper, less complicated, relying on more established infrastructure, scales better and is just about superior in every relevant regard. And it’s not the helicopter/QKD.

#crypto #cryptography #pqc #quantumcryptography #QuantumKeyDistribution

🤩#call4reading #highlicited

✍️An efficient semi-#quantumkeydistribution protocol based on #EPR and single-particle #hybridization #by Yuan Tian, Jian Li, Kai-Guo Yuan, Chao-Yang Li, Heng-Ji Li, Xiu-Bo Chen

🔗10.26421/QIC21.7-8-3

🙌#call4reading

✍️Everlasting #security of #quantumkeydistribution with 1K-DWCDM and #quadratic hash #by Khodakhast Bibak, Robert Ritchie, and Behrouz Zolfaghari

🔗10.26421/QIC21.3-4-1

Upcoming #GÉANTinfoshare on 25 September (14:00 CEST)!

Register to hear experiences, challenges, lessons learnt of NRENs with #QuantumKeyDistribution (#QKD) networks, particularly in the context of #EuroQCI in #Greece and #Romania: https://events.geant.org/event/1676/

@DFN #RoNaQCI #Quantum #GÉANTinfoshare

NREN QKD Networks

With NRENs involved in national quantum technologies projects and initiatives, the Network Development Work Package (WP6) of the GÉANT 5-1 project is bringing an infoshare focused on existing NREN Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) networks, their implementations, their experiences, challenges and lessons learnt.For more information please contact netdev@lists.geant.org.A zoom link and dial-in information will be provided here before the start of the event. The event will be recorded.  

GÉANT Events Management System (Indico)

GÉANT, Toshiba Europe Ltd, PSNC and the Anglia Ruskin University announce the first demonstration of #QuantumKeyDistribution using telecoms standard equipment and infrastructure.

The experiment was conducted in Germany, with access to the #network infrastructure provided by #GÉANT. Communication was established over a link spanning 253.9 km between Frankfurt and Kehl with a 56.0 dB loss and a relay in Kirchfeld.

https://network.geant.org/toshiba-europe-geant-psnc-and-anglia-ruskin-university-announce-the-first-demonstration-of-quantum-key-distribution-within-commercial-telecommunication-networks/

#Quantum #QKD #Network #QuantumCommunications

Toshiba Europe, GÉANT, PSNC and Anglia Ruskin University announce the first demonstration of Quantum Key Distribution within commercial telecommunication networks. - GÉANT Network

Quantum communications harness quantum phenomena like superposition and entanglement to enhance information transfer between remote nodes. The key benefits of these techniques are the ability to be able to detect if communications have been intercepted or modified en-route. Which makes these techniques ideal for highly sensitive data interchange. However, coherent quantum communications, essential for typically

GÉANT Network - The GÉANT Network - Serving the R&E Community

A new #GÉANTInfoshare on 17 July will cover recent experiences within our community with long-distance #QuantumKeyDistribution (#QKD) #network trials: https://events.geant.org/event/1675

In one of the experiments three different QKD testbeds were interconnected across Spain, Germany & Poland as part of #OPENQKD

The second work describes the recent collaboration btw. #Toshiba & GÉANT on a long-distance #Quantum Cryptography experiment, conducted over a 254km network testbed by GÉANT, from Frankfurt to Kehl

QKD Long-Distance Trials

The Network Development Work Package (WP6) of the GÉANT 5-1 project is organising an infoshare focused on the latest experiences with long-distance QKD network trials and experiments.For more information please contact netdev@lists.geant.org.Access to the event: https://geant.zoom.us/j/68332314187?pwd=WWV6NFFyaEViVGdyMTZzclJXTlRKdz09 

GÉANT Events Management System (Indico)

When physicists promote Quantum Key Distribution (#QKD) systems, they tend to claim things like: “it is unbreakable because of the laws of quantum physics”

The @bsi has a great report on why that's not true, and that these systems are also vulnerable to many possible implementation attacks.

https://www.bsi.bund.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/EN/BSI/Publications/Studies/QKD-Systems/QKD-Systems.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=3
#QuantumKeyDistribution #QKD #QuantumSafeCryptography

Quantum Key Distribution (#QKD) brings #quantum-#security to critical communication infrastructure, and it is being increasingly deployed globally.

#Toshiba looks at some deployment practicalities in today's fibre #networks 👉 https://connect.geant.org/2023/11/29/quantum-key-distribution-deployment-practicalities-in-todays-networks

This article is also featured on #CONNECT44, the latest issue of the GÉANT CONNECT Magazine. Read the full magazine here 👉 https://connect.geant.org/connect44

#QuantumKeyDistribution #Networking #Network #QuantumCommunications #QuantumSecurity

Quantum Key Distribution deployment practicalities in today’s networks | GÉANT CONNECT Online

Words: Lee Johnson, Toshiba Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) provides provably secure protection against attacks by quantum computers on current public key encryption protocols and infrastructures. QKD is being increasingly deployed globally and there are some important considerations for practical QKD deployment in today’s fibre networks. High optical budgets and high Secret Key Rates (SKR) QKD

GÉANT CONNECT Online | The leading collaboration on e-infrastructure and services for research and education

#Quantum Key Distribution has emerged as a viable and robust option to enhance the #security of optical #network infrastructure.

Huawei tells us about the advantages of Continuous-Variable #QKD in easing the integration of QKD in metropolitan-area networks 👉 https://connect.geant.org/2023/11/22/network-integration-of-quantum-key-distribution

This article is also featured on #CONNECT44, the latest issue of the GÉANT CONNECT Magazine. Read the full magazine here 👉 https://connect.geant.org/connect44

#QuantumKeyDistribution #Cybersecurity #quantumtechnology #huawei

Network integration of Quantum Key Distribution | GÉANT CONNECT Online

Words: Hans Brunner, Principal Research Engineer, Optical & Quantum Laboratory, Munich Research Center, Huawei Quantum key distribution (QKD) has emerged as a viable and robust option for enhancing the security of optical network infrastructure. From the network-design point of view, a key distribution service has to adapt to the requirements of the network rather than impose

GÉANT CONNECT Online | The leading collaboration on e-infrastructure and services for research and education