First QKD cryptographic system certified

In South Korea, a QKD cryptography system has now been officially certified for secure use for the first time. The model from the Swiss company IDQ, which is established in the production of QKD devices, is the Clavis XG. This model is superior to the also available Cerberis XG not only in the range, but also in the security of the BB84 protocol used. In addition, the system includes a key management system for managing the generated keys: the Clarion KX.

The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) has approved the Clavis XG after rigorous security testing and validation of both the software and protocols and optical/digital systems from the following participating institutions: the National Security Research Institute (NSRI), the Korea Information and Communication Technology Association (KICTA), the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), the IT Security Certification Center (ITSCC) and the South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT.

South Korea is thus taking a step that many countries have been delaying so far. In Germany, for example, certification is likely to be a long time in coming, as the BSI still does not recommend the use of QKD as still too unexplored and instead relies on PQC methods, whose security, however, is based on mathematical security in contrast to the physically irrefutable security of quantum systems.