SK Broadband launches hybrid quantum security service

South Korean internet service provider SK Broadband on Tuesday said it launched the country’s first dedicated line service that supports the online security methods of quantum key distribution (QKD) and post-quantum cryptography (PQC).

Largely divided into QKD and PQC, quantum safe communication (QSC) uses the principle of the quantum trait of uncertainty and that of non-replication.

QKD is a hardware method of using QKD devices that the sender and receiver each have. Its key characteristic is that it is physically impossible to hack. 

Based on a mathematical algorithm, PQC is cheaper and more scalable than QKD because of its usability with software. The two technologies complement each other in performance and cost-effectiveness.

Customers can select and use either QKD and PQC, whichever is appropriate for a situation. SK Broadband said a dedicated QKD line with excellent security is suitable for large clients like government and public agencies, medical centers and financial institutions while a PQC, which needs no separate equipment installed, is good for small and medium businesses.

Combining the two QSC methods is also possible. For a bank’s biometric authentication security, QKD technology is used in the bank’s internal data center and that of PQC is applied between a customer’s smartphone and the authentication server to protect biometric information.

In cooperation with SK Telecom Co., SK Broadband received certification from the Korea Cryptographic Module Validation Program for its new service.

Write to Seung-Woo Lee at leeswoo@hankyung.com