"With the use of the Cerberis solution to secure Swiss elections in Geneva since 2007, this new operation clearly establishes IDQ and Senetas as world leaders in this new industry," said the CEO of ID Quantique, Gregoire Ribordy. "In our industry, we are often prohibited from discussing actual security deployments, but operations like the Durban one have the advantage of illustrating the potential of quantum cryptography technology."
Senetas CEO, John DuBois said the deployment of the Senetas/idQuantique solution for the world event would add further public recognition to this network security technology now installed on four continents. He praised the work done since 2008 to help position the City of Durban to become Africa's 'smart city'. "We applaud Professor Francesco Petruccione and his University team as well as the municipality of eThekwini, for their vision to secure a range of e-services travelling around the city on a fibre-optic backbone," Mr DuBois said.
Professor Francesco Petruccione, Head of the CQT, said, "South Africa has the potential to lead Africa through advancements in Science and Technology. Global milestones, such as the quantumStadium project, entrench us as world-class players in research and development".
The quantumStadium project extends the quantumCity initiative aimed at providing quantum based communication security within the eThekwini's optical fibre optic network. Since 2008, the City of Durban has been positioned to become the Smart City of Africa. This vision includes the development of an optical fibre communication backbone to provide citizens with e-services such as online learning, health advice, internet business solutions, public sector productivity tools and surveillance. These facilities increase the dependence on online communication and therefore the quantumCity was proposed to enhance this experience with cutting edge communication security solutions.
City Manager, Dr Michael Sutcliffe, believes that quantum information and communication technology will not only boost the transformation of the Municipality into a high-tech information-driven organization, but also turn Durban into an incubator for future technologies.
According to Mr Abdul Mirza, a physicist at the Centre for Quantum Technology, using quantum cryptography would ensure that Durban has the most technologically advanced method of communication security. "Quantum cryptography encodes the secure key within the physical properties of quantum particles, therefore any unauthorized individual would have to defy the laws of physics to extract the key unnoticed," said Mr Mirza.
The advancements in quantum computing and communication undertaken by scientists at the Centre for Quantum Technology had impressed the National Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs Naledi Pandor. Responding to these achievements, Mrs Pandor said: "I'm excited by the quality and innovative research that has developed at UKZN. It's encouraging to note that government's call to increase innovative research in science and technology at universities is being acted on."
The City's vision is to extend this solution to the private sector, in turn transforming Durban from Africa's Smart City to the world's first quantum city.
About ID Quantique
ID Quantique is a global leader shaping the evolution of network security through the development and commercialization of Quantum Key Distribution and high-speed encryption products. Its layer 2 encryption products have received Common Criteria EAL4+ certification, both with conventional and quantum key distribution. The company is also globally active in the scientific instrumentation (low light measurement devices for industrial and academic laboratories) and random number generators markets. It has received several prestigious Swiss and international awards for its pioneering efforts in bringing new technologies to the market.
ID Quantique participates in several innovative development projects, such as the SwissQuantum quantum key distribution pilot network deployed in 2009 in Geneva. The company was created in 2001 as a spin-off of the University of Geneva and currently has fourteen employees.
About Senetas
Senetas Corporation Limited (ASX Code: SEN) is an Australian ASX-listed public company and is the world's leading developer and supplier of high speed network encryption hardware products. Its products are accredited to the highest international government security standards (FIPS and Common Criteria). Senetas is now represented in more than 40 countries and customers include Government, military and law enforcement agencies in Australia, USA, Middle East, Asia, and the EU, as well as leading financial institutions.
CONTACT
Grégoire Ribordy
CEO, ID Quantique SA
Tel. +41 22 301 83 71
Email: gregoire.ribordy@idquantique.com
John DuBois
CEO, Senetas Corporation Limited
Tel: +61 3 9868 4555
Email: john.dubois@senetas.com
www.senetas.com
