Belfast-based cyber security leader ANGOKA is to unveil a new solution which offers robust security in the face of emerging quantum threats about to confront our daily lives.

The new technology provides quantum-secure last mile key exchange (the security of data fundamentally relies on a secure exchange of cryptographic keys between the communicating parties) for common digital infrastructure currently being built for connected places otherwise known as Smart Cities.

ANGOKA will present its new technology at this year’s UK National Quantum Technologies Showcase in the Business Design Centre, London, on Thursday November 2.

“Last mile” is referred to as the final leg of delivering security keys from a communications provider to a connected end-point device.

 ANGOKA will demonstrate the technology first seen during a trial at Warwick University earlier this year using a connected and automated vehicle to deliver the world’s first quantum-assured V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication.

 Yuri Andersson, CEO of ANGOKA says the company’s role in ensuring the security of the communications between devices is central to the successful, safe and secure operation of our smart cities.

 “As our tech world evolves and as we increasingly rely on smart and connected systems, we are also seeing greater and more frequent threats,” says Mr Andersson.

 To future-proof against the emerging threat of quantum computers it is imperative that we develop solutions today that provide quantum assurance and that also can be widely deployed. We are proud to be delivering such an innovative solution,” he says.

 Future quantum computers will have the ability to break cryptographic schemes based on current, commonly used asymmetric (public/private) key exchange. Both data and infrastructure that have a long enough lifetime will be vulnerable to this “quantum threat” and must therefore be secured today.

It is estimated that by 2035 there will be 1 trillion connected devices such as road, and air traffic management infrastructure, many of which perform critical functions for our economy.

The UK National Quantum Technologies Showcase is hosted by Innovate UK, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), in collaboration with the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme (UKNQTP).