en.Wedoany.com Reported - SENAI CIMATEC recently achieved its first secure video call over a quantum communication network based on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). This application experiment, developed by the Quantum Industrial Innovation Center (QuIIN) under the National Quantum Technology Center, demonstrates the practical value of integrated quantum communication in enhancing the security of strategic information.
QuIIN built a security layer based on a quantum channel, generating encryption keys over optical fiber using Brazil's only Continuous Variable Quantum Key Distribution (CV-QKD) device. These keys are consumed symmetrically during video calls on conventional network equipment, forming a secure connection that cannot be intercepted. Any attempt at eavesdropping is detected, thus eliminating the possibility of man-in-the-middle attacks.
This technology leverages the principles of quantum mechanics to achieve highly secure distribution of encryption keys and is also one of the initial steps toward building a quantum network, considered the foundation of the future quantum internet. This solution differs from traditional encryption methods that rely on mathematical complexity, which could potentially be broken by future quantum computers.
André Dantas, Manager of Cloud, Network, and Security at SENAI CIMATEC, stated that video calls have become a daily routine for businesses and institutions, carrying increasingly strategic and sensitive information. The goal of this experiment was to demonstrate that quantum technologies can now be combined to create an additional layer of more secure communication, addressing the challenges of a new generation of global cybersecurity.
This demonstration was conducted in a test architecture simulating real-world operating conditions over an approximately 50-kilometer optical fiber link, located within the laboratory campus of SENAI CIMATEC and QuIIN in Salvador, Bahia.
This infrastructure integrates CV-QKD quantum communication equipment provided by LuxQuanta, along with Quantum Random Number Generators (QRNGs). These devices are coupled with conventional network and telecommunications equipment, supporting the development, certification, and validation of real-world applications to protect data and critical communications, seen as a significant step toward the quantum security era.
QuIIN researcher João Marcelo Souza emphasized that the team created a testing environment aligned with major international reference standards, enabling companies to experiment with, validate technologies, and prepare for a secure transition to the quantum era. This ecosystem allows businesses and industries to preview how to prepare, identify changes requiring planning, and gaps needing to be addressed before purchasing and certifying network equipment, software, and systems. This is a disruptive infrastructure, now available to benefit the cybersecurity of Brazilian industry.
In addition to research activities, QuIIN collaborates with companies interested in evaluating cybersecurity and quantum communication solutions, offering development and innovation infrastructure. Furthermore, QuIIN offers specialized postgraduate courses in quantum communication, quantum computing, and quantum technologies, aimed at training professionals for the development and application of these technologies.
