Distributed Symmetric Key Exchange (DSKE) Network

Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computers (CRQCs) pose a serious threat to cybersecurity, as they will be able to break most of the current asymmetric cryptography used to protect internet communication. As the technology is advancing quickly, it is important to migrate towards cryptographic systems that are quantum-resilient to avoid enormous economic losses. This is recognized, for example, in Canada's National Quantum Strategy, where one of the critical missions is to "ensure the privacy and cyber-security of Canadians in a quantum-enabled world through a national secure quantum communications network and a post-quantum cryptography initiative." However, the existing technologies that are currently available to perform quantum-safe key distribution, such as Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), and Pre-Shared Keys (PSK), have limitations in terms of scalability and cost-effectiveness (QKD and PSK), or security (PKI).

To address these limitations, in 2017, Quantum Bridge introduced Distributed Symmetric Key Exchange (DSKE). DSKE achieves information-theoretic security, like PSK and QKD, but maintains similar scalability properties to PKI. While an initial development of DSKE was based on a) the delivery of PSK between clients and security hubs and b) the concept of secret sharing, the integration of QKD into DSKE allows for full automation of the DSKE infrastructure. At the same time, DSKE and QKD together will pave the way for a future quantum internet. The resulting system, named DSKENet, will be integrated into existing infrastructure to minimise the cost of adoption of the technology by the industry.

This project aims to bring the DSKENet to market in a collaboration between Quantum Bridge and Toshiba, by including QKD links (provided by Toshiba) in the DSKE system (provided by Quantum Bridge).

DSKENet represents a fundamental step towards the commercialization of quantum-secure communication technologies. On one hand, DSKENet completely eliminates the threat posed by CRQCs, providing a solution that comes with a security proof against any classical or quantum computational attack. On the other hand, DSKENet lays the foundation to build a fully fledged quantum internet. When quantum repeaters will become available, their integration in DSKENet will provide its users with a new set of services which are not possible with purely classical technologies.