Quantum Technologies Key Strategies and Opportunities for ICT Leaders 2025

4Quantum communications and security Discover the next generation data protection mechanisms using quantum technologies. Future quantum computers could compromise current cryptographic techniques and make them more vulnerable. To ensure business confidence, integrity and availability, companies should adopt quantum-safe security and a defence-in-depth approach. These solutions are explored in detail in Appendix A2. In terms of the maturity of quantum communications and security technologies, NIST, supported by an international consortium of 25 countries, has standardized the first round of post- quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms. The US government is leading the charge in regulations, mandating migration to these PQC algorithms, and further work on new NIST candidates is underway.13 However, QKD may not yet be ready for widespread use in some geolocations (such as the US) due to security concerns.14 Nevertheless, companies in other regions are proactively testing and implementing QKD and PQC, and China is developing its own PQC algorithms.15 For instance, TELUS and Photonic’s collaboration on a 30 km fibre network16 demonstrates advancements in quantum communications, computing and networking. The steep learning curve caused by the complexity and novelty of quantum communication and security is another important factor. Solutions such as QRNG, QKD and PQC require advanced knowledge in quantum mechanics and cryptography. Moreover, they present their own practical implementation challenges. For example, entanglement distribution involves additional complexities related to the fundamental principles of quantum networks and the sharing of qubits, as illustrated by TELUS and Photonic’s collaboration.17 Implementing quantum-safe technologies is costly and time-consuming, and a smooth transition will require unique infrastructure. Quantum-safe migration should start as early as possible to mitigate the risk of attackers stealing encrypted data in the present with the intention of decrypting it later with future quantum computers (also called “steal now – decrypt later”18 or “prepare now – relax later”19). The Chinese QKD network, spanning 4,600 km,20 is a successful example of a prepare-and- measure implementation (where the sender prepares quantum states and the receiver measures them). This achievement was made possible through substantial government support, underscoring the essential role of governmental backing. Scalability must be considered. While QKD offers significant potential, it presents challenges such as high costs and distance limitations. In contrast, PQC does not have the same challenges.21 Harvard physicists22 demonstrated this potential by building a metro-area quantum computer network using existing telecommunication fibre. The proposed 800 km QKD network in South Korea, developed by SK Broadband and ID Quantique, protects 48 government agencies.23 Its modular architecture and interoperability with existing systems make it scalable, allowing for seamless expansion and integration for a QKD network. However, a hybrid approach with PQC is easier to deploy, even in space, with a secure multi-orbit data link featuring crypto-agility.24 Failure to adopt quantum and relevant technologies for security could lead to serious data breaches and compromise communications, as sufficiently powerful future quantum computers could break current encryption methods, especially asymmetric encryption (which involves a pair of keys and is currently the foundation for nearly all secure communications). A secure data backup system called H-LINCOS has been developed by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan’s primary ICT research institute, and Kochi Health Sciences Center.25 This innovation highlighted the possibility of addressing these risks by ensuring data integrity and confidentiality even in the face of quantum threats. Failure to adopt quantum and relevant technologies for security could lead to serious data breaches and compromise communications. Quantum Technologies: Key Strategies and Opportunities for ICT Leaders 14