Quside and Ikerlan are using quantum technology to strengthen cybersecurity in critical sectors

The Barcelona-based technology company Quside and the Ikerlan technology centre have taken a step forward in the protection of digital communications by integrating quantum technology into advanced cryptographic systems.

Although it often goes unnoticed by users, a large part of the security of the internet, banking systems, telecommunications networks and industrial infrastructure all depend on the ability to generate unique and unpredictable cryptographic keys. These keys form the basis of essential mechanisms such as authentication, data encryption and the establishment of secure communications between devices and services.

As Haritz Saiz, a researcher in the cyber-secure digital systems team and project coordinator at Ikerlan, points out, “most of the digital systems we use every day rely on cryptographic keys, and without secure keys, there is no such thing as cybersecurity. Quantum technology makes it possible to generate random numbers of a much higher quality than those produced by conventional systems, thereby strengthening the security of the cryptographic keys that protect our communications and data”. These keys form the basis on which mechanisms such as authentication, data protection and the secure exchange of information are built.

The solution enhances security in sectors such as banking, transport, telecommunications and critical infrastructure.

Quside, a spinoff from the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), is a company specialising in quantum randomness solutions and cryptographic modules for cybersecurity and high-performance computing. These modules generate truly random numbers – which are impossible to predict ¬¬¬because they do not follow any pattern or logical rule – and they verify their degree of randomness locally by making use of quantum phenomena. These random numbers are essential for creating robust cryptographic keys. 

Conventional computers generate numbers using mathematical algorithms. Although they are sufficiently secure for most applications, they have limitations in environments where security is critical. Quside’s technology harnesses the unpredictable nature of quantum processes to generate high-quality random sequences, which are also verified directly within the element that generates them.

A PKI platform ready to meet the challenges of the quantum age

This technology has been integrated specifically into Lamassu, a public key infrastructure (PKI) platform developed by LKS Next with the support of Ikerlan, which creates, manages and verifies digital identities so that people, devices and organisations can communicate securely. 

This development reflects the desire of LKS Next and Ikerlan to upgrade Lamassu’s PKI infrastructure, ensuring and verifying, at runtime, the quality of the randomness used to generate the keys. Furthermore, this integration facilitates the use of quantum technologies in strategic sectors where security is a critical requirement, such as energy, the connected industry, transport, telecommunications, banking and critical infrastructure. 

For example, systems as diverse as smart grids and transport infrastructure incorporate software and communications that must be protected against potential tampering or cyber-attacks. This is also the case when we log in to our online banking or make a bank transfer, where cryptography ensures the authenticity of the parties and the confidentiality of the data.

"Our aim is to help quantum technology move out of the laboratory and into real-world applications. We have incorporated the quantum technology developed by Quside into real-world cryptographic systems, strengthening one of the fundamental building blocks of today’s cybersecurity", explains Haritz Saiz.

Fernando de la Iglesia, Quside’s Vice-President of Product, says that “By integrating Quside’s technology, Lamassu enhances the security of cryptographic systems not only by using a higher-quality foundation for the cryptographic material it generates, but also by verifying this quality and incorporating that information at every stage of the lifecycle of keys and certificates”. 

The collaboration between the two organisations reflects Quside’s commitment to bringing quantum technologies to industry and strengthens its position in strategic areas such as secure communications. To consolidate this line of work, the two companies have recently signed an agreement combining Quside’s technology with Ikerlan’s expertise, with the aim of integrating it into cybersecurity and artificial intelligence applications.