US Air Force Taps Quantum for Ultra-Secure Long-Range Communications

The Department of Defense has awarded Terra Quantum a contract to study the feasibility of developing a quantum-resistant network for the U.S. Air Force. 

Terra Quantum, a quantum computing company, plans to build a fast, ultra-secure, long-range communications network using post-quantum cryptography (PQC).

The aim is to make intercepting sensitive data transmitted over long distances impossible, even using future quantum computers.

Terra Quantum aims to achieve this by combining quantum key distribution (QKD), quantum random number generators (QRNG) and PQC libraries.

This would ensure transmissions are secure against current threats, including harvest now, decrypt later attacks. These attacks see bad actors steal encrypted data and hold onto it until future quantum computers—known as cryptographically relevant quantum computers—are powerful enough to crack it.

The quantum physics that underlies quantum cryptography means that any attempt to eavesdrop on communications can also be detected.  

The world faces ever-increasing cybersecurity attacks that threaten our critical infrastructure,” said Terra Quantum CEO Markus Pflitsch.

“The provided solutions help protect sensitive data and set new industry standards for quantum-secure communication. This project also will show the advantages of combining multiple technologies to build secure networks.”

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Terra Quantum chief product officer Florian Neukart added that the company’s proposal builds on its expertise in cybersecurity, including PQC and quantum cryptography such as QKD.