PRISMS - Protocol, Randomness & Information Security Measures for Space

量子技术既对确保通信系统的安全构成威胁，也为其提供解决方案，而通信系统是我们日常生活的基础。随着量子计算能力的提高，现有的保护数据的方法将变得过时。与此同时，正在开发新的量子密码方法，这将有助于缓解这一威胁(例如，量子密钥分发)。这将确保我们最敏感的数据能够受到保护，不受外部代理的影响，无论是国家行为者还是复杂的黑客组织，无论是现在还是未来。提供量子密钥服务的一种拟议方法是通过卫星资产，然而，要采用这些资产，必须确保这些资产的安全性。该项目旨在评估非常小的卫星(纳米卫星)对通过卫星平台的量子有效载荷进行后门攻击的特定脆弱性。由于成本低，纳米卫星越来越多地被用于商业服务，因此可以用来在更广泛的能力内发挥利基作用(例如，可以快速和廉价地生产，以平息需求激增)。要开发的方法是确保量子组件可以与平台的其余部分分开，确保即使平台被攻破，安全的量子信息也无法访问。将需要对空间环境中的量子技术进行监测，以确保它们的性能不受损害。这将有一个额外的好处，即允许量子子系统作为更大卫星上的二次有效载荷。该项目结合了在空间、安全和量子领域的丰富经验，将评估潜在的攻击向量，并提供一个全面测试的系统的台式演示，该系统符合相关标准。该方案的量子要素将是在具有代表性的空间硬件上实施量子随机数发生器(QRNG)和量子协议处理算法。然后将为威胁分析和渗透测试定义测试点。这将有助于提高对这些平台的信任水平，以促进从天基资产提供量子密码学和其他安全量子服务。

Quantum technologies provide both a threat to, and a solution for, ensuring security in the the communication systems which underpin our daily lives. As quantum computing increases in capability, existing methods for securing data will become obsolete. In parallel new quantum cryptographic methods are being developed which will help to mitigate this threat (for example, Quantum Key Distribution). This will ensure that our most sensitive data can be protected from external agents, be they state actors or sophisticated hacker groups, both now and in the future. A proposed method to deliver a quantum key service is through satellite assets, however for adoption, the security of these assets must be assured.This project aims to assess particular vulnerabilities of very small satellites (nanosatellites) to backdoor attacks on quantum payloads through the satellite platform. Nanosatellites are increasingly used in commercial services due to their low cost, and as such can be used to fulfil niches roles within a wider capability (e.g. can be produced quickly and cheaply to smooth spikes in demand). The approach to be developed is to ensure that quantum components can be segmented from the rest of the platform, ensuring even if the platform is breached, secure quantum information cannot be accessed. Monitoring of the quantum technologies within the space environment will be required to ensure that their proporties are uncompromised. This will have the added benefit of allowing quantum subsystems to be hosted as a secondary payload on larger satellites.Bringing together extensive experience in the space, security and quantum domains, this project will assess the potential attack vectors and provide a bench top demonstration of a fully tested system which is aligned to relevant standards. The quantum elements of the programme will be the implementation of a Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) and quantum protocol processing algorithms on representative space hardware. Test points will then be defined for threat analysis and penetration testing. This will serve to increase trust levels in these platforms to facilitate the delivery of quantum cryptography, and other secure quantum services, from space-based assets.