BT's Applied Research and Crypto Quantique recently collaborated in a TMForum Catalyst, in which BT successfully retrofitted Crypto Quantique’s Quantum-Derived Identity (QDID) hardware to a model factory telemetry platform. This enhancement provided sensor and device attestation as well as data encryption.

TMForum is an alliance of over 850 global companies working together to break down technological barriers between digital service providers, suppliers, and integrators. Crypto Quantique are a specialist in ‘Physical Unclonable Function’ (PUF) cybersecurity, in which anomalies and imperfections in certain materials or devices are exploited to uniquely identify devices. Often, these imperfections are an incidental side-effect of a manufacturing process. Though anomalies are usually undesirable in mass manufacturing, an anomaly with a high degree of uniquity can be very useful. If that anomaly is impossible to reproduce, it could qualify as a unique identity.

In the case of Crypto Quantique’s solution, an array of CMOS transistors exploits the quantum tunnelling effect. By taking careful measurements and performing post-processing, a unique identity can be derived from the transistor array. This identity can also serve as a basis for cryptography.

There are many potential applications for this technology, however Applied Research is finding a strong pull towards the Internet of Things and Smart Factory Ecosystem from stakeholders across the business.

Sam Cater, Security Consultant and Research Manager in the Future Smart Infrastructure team, said: “This type of investigative and experimental work is a key step in understanding how novel technologies such as solid-state PUFs may form a part of our future offerings or capabilities. As a result of the success in the TMForum Catalyst project, our team is working with the CFUs across the business to prioritise the next stages of experimentation and prototyping."

Shahram Mossayebi, Crypto Quantique’s CEO, added, “Collaborating closely with BT R&D is one of our most exciting developments in 2021. Together, we’re exploring several new applications where our security platform, coupled with BT’s technology, will enable businesses to improve IoT security while simultaneously cutting costs and creating new revenue streams.”