The Engineering of Software-Defined Quantum Key Distribution Networks

Quantum computers will change the cryptographic panorama. A technology once believed to lie far away in the future is increasingly closer to real-world applications. Quantum computers will break the algorithms used in our public key infrastructure and in our key exchange protocols, forcing a complet...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	IEEE communications magazine 2019-07, Vol.57 (7), p.20-26
Main Authors:	Aguado, Alejandro, Lopez, Victor, Lopez, Diego, Peev, Momtchil, Poppe, Andreas, Pastor, Antonio, Folgueira, Jesus, Martin, Vicente
Format:	Magazinearticle
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Algorithms Computers Distribution management Infrastructure Optical attenuators Optical fibers Protocol (computers) Protocols Public Key Infrastructure Quantum computers Quantum computing Quantum cryptography Security Software Software defined networking Software engineering Substrates
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Summary:	Quantum computers will change the cryptographic panorama. A technology once believed to lie far away in the future is increasingly closer to real-world applications. Quantum computers will break the algorithms used in our public key infrastructure and in our key exchange protocols, forcing a complete retooling of cryptography as we know it. Quantum key distribution is a physical layer technology immune to quantum or classical computational threats. However, it requires a physical substrate, and optical fiber has been the usual choice. Most of the time, it is used just as a point-to-point link for the exclusive transport of delicate quantum signals. Its integration in a realworld shared network has not been attempted so far. Here we show how the new programmable software network architectures, together with specially designed quantum systems, can be used to produce a network that integrates classical and quantum communications, including management, in a single, production-level infrastructure. The network can also incorporate new quantum- safe algorithms and use the existing security protocols, thus bridging the gap between today's network security and the quantum-safe network of the future. This can be done in an evolutionary way, without zero-day migrations and the corresponding upfront costs. We also present how the technologies have been deployed in practice using a production network.
ISSN:	0163-6804 1558-1896