As a journalist at Computerworld Australia:
Senetas Security today announced plans to develop hybrid encryption technology employing quantum computing. The technology is expected to protect companies and government bodies against what has been dubbed cyber terrorism and suicide hackers.
The technology will marry the strengths of quantum and classical technologies, said Senetas' senior product specialist, Julian Fay. Data will be classically encrypted using cryptographic keys generated by a quantum key distribution system, which is currently believed to be unhackable, and relayed using classical fibre optic networks.
Quantum networks are typically limited by speed, Fay said. The use of classical wires and encryption allows speeds of up to 10Gbps.
The hybrid encryption model has already been found to work across distances of up to 120 kilometres - perfect for securing government networks within a city like Canberra, Fay said.
A collaborative research effort is currently under way between Melbourne-based Senetas and a partner, who could not yet be named, in Europe. The partnership is likely to be announced within three weeks, and a working product developed within two months, Fay said.
