en.Wedoany.com Reported - The security threat from quantum computing has not yet become a reality, but Colt Technology Services and Ciena have already begun preparing countermeasures. The two companies recently completed a quantum-safe data transmission trial across the Atlantic Ocean, aiming to build resilience against future quantum computing attacks on high-speed fiber optic networks in advance.
Cyber threats are becoming increasingly intelligent and aggressive, and quantum computers are drawing closer to breaking traditional encryption methods. According to the two companies, malicious actors may already be intercepting and storing data in transit, waiting for future quantum computing capabilities to breach existing encryption systems—a milestone that could arrive as early as 2030. Such attacks pose the greatest threat to data with long-term value, including intellectual property, financial records, government communications, and personal information, all of which retain value over time.
The trial was conducted on Colt's 6,900-kilometer submarine and terrestrial network between New York and London, utilizing Ciena's WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) encryption solution. Data was successfully transmitted at 800 Gb Ethernet service rates, enabling data center-scale volumes to be moved across the Atlantic in seconds. What makes this trial notable is that it was carried out on ultra-high-speed 800 GbE transmission, which is still in its early adoption phase, while most currently deployed long-haul and submarine systems operate at 100 GbE or 400 GbE.
Ciena's solution employs the Module-Lattice-Based Key Encapsulation Mechanism (ML-KEM) algorithm, one of the first post-quantum cryptography methods formally standardized and approved by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology. The solution also incorporates quantum key distribution interoperability technology. Buddy Bayer, Chief Operating Officer of Colt, stated that Ciena's quantum-safe solution demonstrates how next-generation security can be embedded into high-speed networks, ensuring that protection measures advance in tandem with performance.
Paulina Gomez, Director of Product Portfolio Marketing at Ciena, noted that quantum security is not limited to 800 GbE speeds; it should cover the entire network to ensure data is protected both now and in the future. When asked whether submarine cable traffic faces significant security threats, Gomez stated that submarine cables carry the majority of international data, including vast amounts of high-value, sensitive information, making it increasingly important to secure this traffic. Ciena's high-speed quantum-safe encryption is now generally available.
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