Distributed Symmetric Key Exchange (DSKE) Network

加密相关量子计算机（CRQC）对网络安全构成严重威胁，因为它们将能够破解当前用于保护互联网通信的大部分非对称加密技术。随着技术的快速发展，重要的是要迁移到量子弹性的加密系统，以避免巨大的经济损失。例如，加拿大的国家量子战略就认识到了这一点，其中一项关键任务是“通过国家安全量子通信网络和后量子密码倡议，确保加拿大人在量子世界中的隐私和网络安全。然而，目前可用于执行量子安全密钥分发的现有技术，如公钥基础设施（PKI），量子密钥分发（QKD）和预共享密钥（PSK），在可扩展性和成本效益（QKD和PSK）或安全性（PKI）方面存在局限性。为了解决这些局限性，2017年，量子桥引入了分布式对称密钥交换（DSKE）。DSKE实现了与PSK和QKD一样的信息理论安全性，但保持了与PKI相似的可扩展性。虽然DSKE的初始开发基于a）在客户端和安全中心之间传送PSK以及B）秘密共享的概念，但将QKD集成到DSKE中允许DSKE基础设施的完全自动化。与此同时，DSKE和QKD将共同为未来的量子互联网铺平道路。由此产生的系统名为DSKENet，将被集成到现有的基础设施中，以最大限度地降低行业采用该技术的成本。该项目旨在通过量子桥和东芝之间的合作将DSKENet推向市场，通过包括QKD链接（东芝提供）在DSKE系统中DSKENet代表了量子安全通信技术商业化的基本步骤。一方面，DSKENet完全消除了CRQC带来的威胁，提供了一种解决方案，该解决方案具有针对任何经典或量子计算攻击的安全证明。另一方面，DSKENet为构建一个成熟的量子互联网奠定了基础。当量子中继器变得可用时，它们在DSKENet中的集成将为其用户提供一套新的服务，这是纯经典技术所无法实现的。

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.