A proving ground for QKD
Quantum cryptography, and more specifically quantum key distribution (QKD), is one of the fastest growing sectors within the dynamic cybersecurity marketplace. Often miscategorized as just a technology of the future, QKD has actually been around for 20 years. The global market for quantum cryptography is projected to triple in the next five years, with some estimates placing the market value at over $5billion by 2026. This rapid growth is driven primarily by the expanding threat landscape within an increasingly digitized and connected world.
Mature Technology
As the technology has matured its applications have broadened, and QKD is being widely adopted for government, defense, and commercial use. From humble, short-range point-to-point implementations, QKD has demonstrated its ability to scale effectively and is now used to secure core national infrastructure. In China, QKD is used to secure a network that spans almost 5,000km, linking four quantum metro-area networks (QMAN) in Shanghai, Beijing, Hefei and Jinan. This network also includes a satellite link, connecting two sites more than 2,500km apart.
Across the world, state and privately funded initiatives are pushing the boundaries of quantum technologies and encouraging the use of testbeds to explore a diverse range of applications. In Europe, the OPENQKD initiative is one such example.
OPENQKD
Established as the first QKD-enabled test platform, the OPENQKD project is a key driver for quantum innovation across Europe. It has enabled the effective evaluation of QKD across multiple industry verticals, with use cases as diverse as secure cloud storage for healthcare data, inter-datacenter communications, e-Government applications and QKD in space.
With the cooperation of government, academia and commerce, the OPENQKD project has seen testbeds established in Italy, France, Greece, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Austria, Poland and the United Kingdom.
Ease of implementation
Of course, if you are looking to explore the opportunity QKD offers, it doesn’t need to be a part of a global project. QKD is actually quite simple to implement. As an overlay technology, it can be deployed across your current infrastructure with no negative impact on performance and no need for additional, expensive network upgrades.
In a recent article on LinkedIn, Christopher Janes (Worldwide Technical Solutions & Support, IDQ) explains more about The Simplicity of QKD.
Proof of concept
Of course, we don’t expect you to just take our word for it. If you, or anyone in your organization, is thinking about the future of cybersecurity and wants to know how QKD can help, we encourage you to get in touch and discuss a proof of concept.
Contact us today on info@idquantique.com
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