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SK telecom is set to develop its proprietary communication security technology, Quantum Security Communication (QSC), as an international standard. It is anticipated that the technology will receive final international standardization approval in as early as two years.
On Aug. 29, SK telecom announced its decision to develop QSC as an international standard project at the “ITU-T Information Security Study Group’s Second Half International Conference,” which will be held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, until Sept. 8.
ITU-T is an organization under the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the U.N., that sets communication standards. This Switzerland-based entity has chosen South Korea as its first overseas meeting venue since the outbreak of COVID-19. It was explained that the decision for South Korea as the meeting venue was made after ITU-T accepted QSC, which SK telecom had proposed as a standardization project in the last international conference in the first half of the year.
An SK telecom official said, “After making QSC an international standard, we will go through the process of gaining the consent of ITU member countries,” adding, “The final approval will be determined in about 2-3 years.” According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the global quantum communication market, which stood at 1.6886 trillion won last year, is projected to expand more than 14-fold to 24.5793 trillion won by 2030.
QSC combines two technologies that differentiate the quantum encryption field: Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) technology. QKD uses separate equipment to transmit an encryption key that can only be decrypted by the sender and receiver. Utilizing the quantum property, where the state changes just by observation, it immediately detects any external attempt to steal the encryption key, essentially providing a root block against hacking. However, there are challenges: quantum amplifying equipment must be installed every few dozen kilometers, making it costly and currently unfeasible for wireless applications.
PQC employs mathematical algorithms that are difficult for quantum computers to solve. Only a chip the size of a USB needs to be attached to the transmission and reception devices, or simply a software upgrade could be installed, making it cost-effective. However, there are concerns that as quantum computers evolve, the mathematical algorithms might be solved, compromising security. Since the strengths and weaknesses of these two technologies differ, countries like the U.S. are pushing for PQC, while China is promoting QKD.
SK telecom has decided on a different approach based on the type of communication network, maximizing the advantages of both technologies. They have proposed employing the highly secure QKD in wired areas with high data importance and large transmission volumes while employing the cost-effective PQC in other areas. The strategy entails using QKD between data centers and PQC for connecting data centers to the internet and linking base stations to smartphones.
The telecommunications industry highly values SK telecom’s efforts to have these two competing technologies coexist. Arnaud Taddei, deputy chairman of the ITU-T Information Security Study Group and chief information security officer (CISO) of Broadcom, who attended the conference, commented, “There had previously not been discussions about combining the two technologies before, but SK telecom has come up with a great idea.”