KT, a major telecom company in South Korea, has commercialized a quantum cryptography-based virtual private network (VPN) technology to increase security in a wireless environment in cooperation with AhnLab, a cybersecurity solution developer. Quantum cryptographic security, which used to be wired-oriented, has been expanded to wireless.
KT said its technology encrypts the section where the client and server are connected, enabling quantum cryptography security regardless of the connection method. KT and AhnLab would launch a quantum cryptography VPN subscription service and promote joint marketing.
"We will contribute to the digital transformation of companies and public institutions through quantum cryptographic VPN services that can be applied to wireless communication such as 5G," Min Hye-byung, head of KT's enterprise service digital transformation, said in a statement on August 23.
For commercialization, KT and AhnLab have developed a cryptographic module that utilizes a quantum random number generator (QRNG) of EYL, a domestic security startup.
In the 5G era, the importance of cybersecurity in mobile communications will rise exponentially. Quantum cryptography has emerged as an essential solution for safeguarding critical information because it is impossible to copy data encoded in a quantum state.
