What is in the news?

• The Indian Army has collaborated with industry and academia to build secure communications and cryptography applications to make its networks resistant to attacks by systems with quantum capabilities.

Need for ‘quantum resistant’ systems

The following factors necessitates the deployment of “quantum-resistant” systems

• Traditional encryption models are at risk
• Increasing military applications of quantum technology
• Quantum cyberattacks can potentially breach any hardened target, opening a significant vulnerability for existing digital infrastructure.
• Chinese threat
  • China now hosts two of the world’s fastest quantum computers which increases the chances of cyber attacks against India’s digital infrastructure.
  • India’s dependence on Chinese hardware, is an additional vulnerability

How can it be achieved?

• Upgrading current encryption standards that can be broken by quantum cryptography.

Global precedent

• The US National Quantum Initiative Act has already allocated $1.2 billion for research in defence-related quantum technology.

India’s state in Quantum technology

• In February 2022, a joint team of the Defence Research and Development Organisation and IIT-Delhi successfully demonstrated a Quantum Key Distribution link (QKD) link between two cities in UP,  Prayagraj and Vindhyachal located 100 kilometres apart.
• In 2019, the Centre declared quantum technology a “mission of national importance”. 
• The Union Budget 2020-21 had proposed to spend Rs 8,000 crore on the newly launched National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications. 

How to make India’s cyberspace resilient?

Government measures related to Quantum technology have to be complemented by a strong focus on securing cyberspace from quantum attacks.

1. Enhancing India’s capabilities in developing advanced systems

• Procuring the United States National Security Agency’s (NSA) Suite B Cryptography Quantum-Resistant Suite as its official encryption mechanism can facilitate India’s official transition to quantum-resistant algorithms.

• The Indian defence establishment can consider reproducing the cryptographic standards set by the US’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) which has developed a series of encryption tools to handle quantum computer attacks.

1. National initiatives to develop quantum resistant systems

• India must start its national initiatives to develop quantum-resistant systems.
• The government should fund and encourage existing open-source projects related to post-quantum cryptography
• It should also ensure active participation in the Open Quantum Safe project. (Open Quantum Safe Project– A global initiative started in 2016 for prototyping and integrating quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms)

1. Develop and implement quantum resistant communications

• The country should start implementing and developing capabilities in quantum-resistant communications, specifically for critical strategic sectors. 
• Connecting military outposts for sensitive communications, can be prioritised to ensure secure communications.
• Establishing a nationwide communication network integrated with quantum cryptographic systems can protect cyberspace from any cross-border quantum cyber offensive.

1. Diplomatic partnership

• Diplomatic partnerships with other “techno-democracies” — countries with top technology sectors and advanced economies can help India pool resources and mitigate emerging quantum cyber threats. 

Conclusion

• With increasing cybersecurity risks emerging out of applications of quantum physics in strategic domains, India needs a holistic approach to tackle these challenges.