Israel Launches Consortium to Build Communications Networks Safe From Quantum Computers

A consortium of nine technology companies and six universities has been launched in Israel to develop communications technologies that can withstand attacks from future quantum computers. The Post-Quantum Communications (PQC) Consortium, supported by the Israel Innovation Authority's Technological Infrastructure Division, brings together Allot, Ceragon, Classiq, Gilat Satellite Networks, Heqa, Elta, Nvidia, RAD and Ribbon, alongside Bar-Ilan University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Open University of Israel, the Technion and the University of Haifa.

The concern driving the effort is that sufficiently powerful quantum computers are expected to break some of the mathematical problems underpinning today's widely used encryption — the scrambling of data into code that only authorised parties can read. The threat is not necessarily immediate, but communications data can remain sensitive for years or decades: information intercepted and stored now could eventually be decrypted once the technology matures, forcing governments and companies to prepare well in advance.

Rather than betting on a single technology, the consortium will develop and evaluate three approaches. Post-quantum cryptography relies on new mathematical algorithms designed to remain secure against both conventional and quantum computers; quantum key distribution uses properties of quantum physics to distribute encryption keys; and hybrid systems combine elements of both. The research will span optical networks, Ethernet and IP infrastructure, mobile and satellite communications, data centers and internet-based communications — a breadth that reflects how a weakness in any one layer could undermine the security of the whole system.

Allot, an Israeli cybersecurity and network-intelligence company, is a founding member and will chair the consortium. "The transition to quantum-safe communications is one of the most important cybersecurity challenges facing the world today," said Yaakov Stein, Allot's VP CTO and chair of the consortium's board and scientific committee.