Distributed Symmetric Key Exchange (DSKE) Network

与密码相关的量子计算机(CRQC)对网络安全构成了严重威胁，因为它们将能够破解目前用于保护互联网通信的大部分不对称密码。随着技术的快速发展，重要的是转向具有量子弹性的密码系统，以避免巨大的经济损失。例如，加拿大的国家量子战略承认了这一点，其中的关键任务之一是“通过国家安全的量子通信网络和后量子密码学倡议，确保加拿大人在量子世界中的隐私和网络安全。”然而，现有的可用于进行量子安全密钥分发的技术，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。与PSK和QKD一样，DSKE实现了信息论安全，但保持了与PKI相似的可伸缩性。虽然DSKE的最初开发基于a)客户端和安全集线器之间的PSK交付和b)秘密共享的概念，但将QKD集成到DSKE中允许完全自动化的DSKE基础设施。与此同时，DSKE和QKD的结合将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Quantum Bridge和东芝的合作，通过在DSKE系统(由Quantum Bridge提供)中加入QKD链路，将DSKENet推向市场。DSKENet代表着迈向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构成的威胁，提供了一种具有安全证明的解决方案，可以抵御任何经典或量子计算攻击。另一方面，DSKENet为建立一个完全成熟的量子互联网奠定了基础。当量子中继器面市时，它们在DSKENet中的集成将为其用户提供纯经典技术无法提供的一套新服务。

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.