Vodafone, the UK-based telecommunications provider, is trialing new quantum-safe technology to protect smartphone users from future threats posed by quantum-enabled attacks. The company has developed a proof of concept using IBM’s Quantum Safe technology, which will be trialed on Vodafone’s mobile digital security service, Secure Net. This service currently offers protection against phishing, malware, and identity theft on both Vodafone’s fixed and mobile networks. Vodafone’s partnership with cybersecurity firm Akamai is also instrumental in supporting the proof of concept.
The new technology aims to incorporate post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standards into existing encryption algorithms, anticipating the rise of quantum computing.
Quantum computers have the potential to break traditional encryption methods, which could expose sensitive data and communications across the globe. To address this, Vodafone and IBM are working on ensuring the mobile network is prepared for the future, establishing quantum-safe measures before quantum computers reach the capability to undermine current cryptographic principles.
As quantum computing continues to develop, it is anticipated that powerful quantum machines capable of decrypting today’s encryption will emerge in the coming years.
Cybercriminals are already leveraging “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, gathering data now for potential future decryption using quantum technology. This underscores the urgency for sectors like telecoms and finance to implement quantum-secure solutions, with companies like BT and Toshiba already pioneering quantum-secured networks and Google rolling out quantum-safe digital signatures. Vodafone’s trial with IBM and Akamai is part of a broader industry initiative to prepare for this quantum computing threat.
Vodafone and IBM’s efforts are further bolstered by their involvement in the GSMA Post-Quantum Telco Network Taskforce, a group formed in 2022 to define requirements and create a roadmap for implementing quantum-safe networking in the telecom sector. With quantum computing breakthroughs, such as Microsoft’s unveiling of a quantum chip, the need for preemptive action becomes more pressing. The telecom industry, alongside other sectors, is racing to develop quantum-safe technologies to safeguard data before “Q Day,” the moment quantum computers can break current encryption methods.
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