A Chinese state-owned company has unveiled what it described as the world’s first commercial cryptography system that cannot be hacked even by quantum computers.
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China Telecom Quantum Group announced the launch of the world’s first distributed cryptography system that integrates two key technologies last week.
The company said it had also completed the world’s first cross-regional quantum-encrypted phone call over a distance of more than 1,000km (600 miles) between Beijing and the city of Hefei using this integrated system.
With the rapid advancement of quantum computing, traditional cybersecurity frameworks face unprecedented challenges as new algorithms increase the chances of cracking traditional encryption systems.
The new system uses both Quantum Key Distribution, which uses the principles of quantum mechanics to securely transmit encryption keys, and Post-Quantum Cryptography, which relies on complex mathematical problems to lock down data.
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China Telecom said this combination forms an end-to-end quantum-secure architecture for core uses such as real-time communication, data protection and trusted identity authentication.
Peng Chengzhi, the chief quantum scientist at China Telecom and a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, said in a report by the firm that public key-based encryption systems would face increasing threats as global quantum computing advanced.