<http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?site=lightreading&doc_id=41735>

Light Reading - Networking the Telecom Industry

OCTOBER 13, 2003 

PREVIOUS ITU TELECOM WORLD NEWSWIRE FEED 

Partners Promote Quantum Cryptography 

GENEVA -- WISeKey, ID Quantique and OISTE sign a partnership agreement to develop a 
Quantum Key Infrastructure based on the OISTE ROOT and Quantum Cryptography. 

Three leading E-Security organisations in Geneva are joining forces to deploy what 
will be the first ever integrated Quantum Key Infrastructure. 

Today, Public Key cryptography uses a combination of public and private keys to 
secure, sign and authenticate data on the Internet. In this system, a private key is 
used together with a public key which in effect solves the central problem of key 
distribution. However, its security may be vulnerable to future increases in computing 
power thus challenging encryption algorithms. 

Quantum Cryptography (QC) could change that by intrinsically securing key distribution 
based on fundamental laws of physics. With properly implemented QC, attacking the key 
becomes virtually impossible, despite increased computing power. Therefore, the 
combination of the WISeKey and id Quantique products will produce the first Quantum 
Key Infrastructure based on a Global Interoperable Cryptographic ROOT. 

Government departments, banks and financial institutions looking to archive 
information over ultra secure links are expected to be the first users of the 
technology. It is also expected that this technology will be used to reinforce the 
security of E-Voting applications through tamper and eavesdropping detection via a 
Quantum Channel connecting the central Government's servers with local county servers. 

OISTE and WISeKey were the first organizations to establish a Global Interoperable 
Cryptographic ROOT and to secure a legally binding e-voting project. id Quantique, in 
collaboration with the University of Geneva, was the first company in the world to 
distribute an unbreakable key using a quantum cryptography system, an event which took 
place over a 67 km standard fibre-optic link between Geneva and Lausanne. 

"The possibilities of this partnership are mind-boggling as both companies have very 
complementary know-how and objectives: to develop an unbreakable security system to 
secure key distribution. With the WISeKey id Quantique solution we finally have a 
solution for extreme security environments." said Carlos Moreira, President of 
WISekey. 

"Quantum cryptography exploits a fundamental principle of quantum physics - 
observation causes perturbation - to distribute cryptographic keys with absolute 
security. id Quantique is introducing the first quantum cryptography system, which 
exchanges keys over standard optical fibres. We believe that the cooperation with 
WISekey and the integration of our technology with their PKI infrastructure will 
accelerate our development process and reduce our time to market cycle." said Gr�goire 
Ribordy, CEO, id Quantique. 

The WISekey-ID Quantique - Quantum Key Infrastructure (QKI) system, a world premiere, 
will be presented at Telecom 2003 on 15th October 2003 (Booth 4141 Hall 4, e-Democracy 
Center, Geneva Lake Region Pavillion). 

WISekey" 

ID Quantique 


-- 
-----------------
R. A. Hettinga <mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/>
44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
[predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

---------------------------------------------------------------------
The Cryptography Mailing List
Unsubscribe by sending "unsubscribe cryptography" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Reply via email to