The US, UK and five other countries will launch a set of satellites in quantum encryption
Cyber attacks are becoming more sophisticated, and in the West they are looking for encryption that can never be cracked
Oded Carmeli
15.06.2021
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qeyssat-satellite.jpg
Imaging of Canada's QEYSSat quantum satellite, which is expected to launch early next year. Credit: CSA
The United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Italy, Belgium and Austria will join forces to develop a first-of-its-kind satellite system that will use quantum encryption, the leaders of the G7 summit in Cornwall, England, said. The joint array, Federated Quantum System, or FQS, will be based on the technology developed by the British startup company Arqit for private customers. However, unlike private quantum encryption, the FQS array will allow Allied countries to exchange encrypted information on a regular basis.
Encryption that cannot be broken
Quantum encryption, as it is called, uses the principles of quantum mechanics. The main application of this type of encryption is "quantum key exchange": photons of light generate encryption keys and these allow both parties to encode and decrypt messages. But while the principle of encoding and decoding messages is common to all types of encryption, in quantum encryption any attempt by a third party to crack the code will destroy the information and expose the attempted hack.
The FQS satellite array will be used by the Seven Allies to transmit military information, such as fighter jets, without even having the physical possibility of cracking the encryption key - no matter what the computing side's computing capabilities.
51241355374_9a34626def_c-799x485.jpg
The G7 summit at Cornwall. Credit: Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
The G7 summit at Cornwall. Credit: Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
Quantum satellite to Israel as well?
"Until recently, quantum communication was science fiction," explains Prof. Yitzhak Ben-Israel, head of the Cyber Center at Tel Aviv University and chairman of the Israel Space Agency at the Ministry of Science and Technology. "What is normal communication? I have information and I want to pass that information on. I encode this information using bits each of which can be 0 or one but this message still has to go all the way to the other side. In this traditional method the information is encrypted but it is still possible to intercept the message, break the encryption and thus know what I sent.
"In quantum mechanics, however, the bit value does not have to be 0 or 1, but can be both 0 and 1. If someone intercepts my message on the way, it will not help him because the message will be worthless. Only after you have received the message, I My side can decide what the value of the bits I sent will be. And as soon as I decide I will have the message deciphered at that moment. Why? The information ".
Why is the G7 Forum suddenly interested in quantum communication? The reason for this, according to Prof. Ben-Israel, is simple: "The only ones who have taken the field seriously to date have been the Chinese, who have been working on quantum communications for ten years, initially on the ground and later in space. The Chinese have created a relative advantage, and now the West The new is an attempt by the West to anticipate a cure for Mecca, when the countries decided to close the gap through international cooperation - so as not to create a situation where many countries would depend on the strategic asset of one country. "Tel Aviv University, together with the Center for Quantum Technologies at the University, is already proposing to build and launch a nano-satellite for quantum communications that will be used by Israel for similar encryption."
The EU is also planning a quantum satellite array
Currently, quantum cryptography is a commercial solution that exists in fiber optics on the ground. But the fibers can carry the quantum photons only up to a distance of about 200 km. After that, the signal goes wrong and the information loses its credibility. Hence the desire of different countries in the world to launch satellite arrays that will use quantum key exchange to ensure international military cooperation.
The cost of the FQS array is estimated at more than $ 70 million, with the first satellite launched in 2023. Arqit intends to launch the satellites through its partnership with Virgin Orbit. As early as July this year, the company will offer the open civilian version, QuantumCloud, to private customers from all over the world.
It should be noted that the EU is also planning to develop and launch a quantum flooding satellite system called EuroQCI, and all EU member states, except Ireland, have already signed agreements on the subject. Therefore, the statement of Italy, Austria and Belgium, also members of the Union, that they will join the US-UK-led FQS initiative, is surprising.
www.space.gov.il
Cyber attacks are becoming more sophisticated, and in the West they are looking for encryption that can never be cracked
Oded Carmeli
15.06.2021
share over:
qeyssat-satellite.jpg
Imaging of Canada's QEYSSat quantum satellite, which is expected to launch early next year. Credit: CSA
The United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Italy, Belgium and Austria will join forces to develop a first-of-its-kind satellite system that will use quantum encryption, the leaders of the G7 summit in Cornwall, England, said. The joint array, Federated Quantum System, or FQS, will be based on the technology developed by the British startup company Arqit for private customers. However, unlike private quantum encryption, the FQS array will allow Allied countries to exchange encrypted information on a regular basis.
Encryption that cannot be broken
Quantum encryption, as it is called, uses the principles of quantum mechanics. The main application of this type of encryption is "quantum key exchange": photons of light generate encryption keys and these allow both parties to encode and decrypt messages. But while the principle of encoding and decoding messages is common to all types of encryption, in quantum encryption any attempt by a third party to crack the code will destroy the information and expose the attempted hack.
The FQS satellite array will be used by the Seven Allies to transmit military information, such as fighter jets, without even having the physical possibility of cracking the encryption key - no matter what the computing side's computing capabilities.
51241355374_9a34626def_c-799x485.jpg
The G7 summit at Cornwall. Credit: Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
The G7 summit at Cornwall. Credit: Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
Quantum satellite to Israel as well?
"Until recently, quantum communication was science fiction," explains Prof. Yitzhak Ben-Israel, head of the Cyber Center at Tel Aviv University and chairman of the Israel Space Agency at the Ministry of Science and Technology. "What is normal communication? I have information and I want to pass that information on. I encode this information using bits each of which can be 0 or one but this message still has to go all the way to the other side. In this traditional method the information is encrypted but it is still possible to intercept the message, break the encryption and thus know what I sent.
"In quantum mechanics, however, the bit value does not have to be 0 or 1, but can be both 0 and 1. If someone intercepts my message on the way, it will not help him because the message will be worthless. Only after you have received the message, I My side can decide what the value of the bits I sent will be. And as soon as I decide I will have the message deciphered at that moment. Why? The information ".
Why is the G7 Forum suddenly interested in quantum communication? The reason for this, according to Prof. Ben-Israel, is simple: "The only ones who have taken the field seriously to date have been the Chinese, who have been working on quantum communications for ten years, initially on the ground and later in space. The Chinese have created a relative advantage, and now the West The new is an attempt by the West to anticipate a cure for Mecca, when the countries decided to close the gap through international cooperation - so as not to create a situation where many countries would depend on the strategic asset of one country. "Tel Aviv University, together with the Center for Quantum Technologies at the University, is already proposing to build and launch a nano-satellite for quantum communications that will be used by Israel for similar encryption."
The EU is also planning a quantum satellite array
Currently, quantum cryptography is a commercial solution that exists in fiber optics on the ground. But the fibers can carry the quantum photons only up to a distance of about 200 km. After that, the signal goes wrong and the information loses its credibility. Hence the desire of different countries in the world to launch satellite arrays that will use quantum key exchange to ensure international military cooperation.
The cost of the FQS array is estimated at more than $ 70 million, with the first satellite launched in 2023. Arqit intends to launch the satellites through its partnership with Virgin Orbit. As early as July this year, the company will offer the open civilian version, QuantumCloud, to private customers from all over the world.
It should be noted that the EU is also planning to develop and launch a quantum flooding satellite system called EuroQCI, and all EU member states, except Ireland, have already signed agreements on the subject. Therefore, the statement of Italy, Austria and Belgium, also members of the Union, that they will join the US-UK-led FQS initiative, is surprising.
ארה"ב, בריטניה ועוד חמש מדינות ישגרו מערך לוויינים בהצפנה קוונטית
ארצות הברית, הממלכה המאוחדת, יפן, קנדה, איטליה, בלגיה ואוסטריה יחברו יחד כדי לפתח מערך לווייני ראשון מסוגו שיעשה שימוש בהצפנה קוונטית – כך הודיעו מנהיגי המדינות במסגרת פסגת ה-G7 שנערכת בימ
