Cisco has revealed it has integrated chip-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology from Kets Quantum Security in its IOS XR-based routing infrastructure, marking a significant step towards scalable, quantum-secure networking for enterprise and critical infrastructure environments.
For some time, Cisco – with a number of partners – has been working on distributed quantum networks that it believes could lay the groundwork towards a quantum computing internet defined by quantum computers, sensors and communication in the late 2030s.
The company regards current quantum computers and networks as powerful but limited, operating at hundreds of qubits when real-world applications in healthcare, financial services and aerospace will need millions to achieve unheard-of speeds and technological breakthroughs. The company believes networking and connectivity are central to bridging that gap, stressing that quantum future will not be built by any one company or any one technology, but rather by connecting them all.
Kets claims to offer the UK’s most commercially advanced chip-based quantum-safe encryption company, and has a stated mission of delivering scalable and cost-effective QKD services for real-world applications.
The Kets QKD system is built on photonic chip technology to enable the generation and distribution of encryption keys secured by the laws of quantum physics. Its secure keys can be used to protect critical data from advanced computing attacks, providing long-term data security in an increasingly complex threat landscape.
By combining this capability with Cisco routers running IOS XR, featuring Media Access Control Security (MACsec) technology – which see use in securing data-in-transit across high-speed Ethernet networks – Kets and Cisco say their integrated service can deliver end-to-end encryption that increases quantum resilience and which is operationally compatible with existing network infrastructure.
Moreover, the firms say the Kets QKD system and Cisco routers now offer interoperability enabling automatic key exchange and encryption without disrupting network performance. The result, they say, is a scalable architecture capable of protecting sensitive data across metropolitan and wide-area networks.
Other key benefits said to be derived from the integrated offering include increased quantum resistance for critical data flows; compatibility with existing MACsec Ethernet-based networks; a reduced hardware footprint through chip-scale QKD; and automated, continuous key refresh for enhanced security.
Assessing the ramifications of the partnership and the need to launch such integrated technology, Kets Quantum Security CEO Lisa Matthews warned that the threat of a quantum computer is today’s problem, not tomorrow’s.
“The moment a large-scale quantum computer is commercially operational, every piece of sensitive data currently being transmitted, from financial transactions to national security secrets, will be exposed,” she said.
“This integration demonstrates that quantum-secure communications can move beyond theory into real-world deployment. Our chip-based approach removes traditional barriers of size, cost and complexity, making QKD practical for widespread use as a critical new network security feature alongside industry-standard networking equipment.”
Kets noted that the QKD v2.0 unit provided to Cisco is the same security architecture recently trialled by BT. Cisco was an early supporter of hardware QKD, with support in IOS XR routers beginning with version 7.9.1 in 2023.
Kets and Cisco plan to continue their partnership, exploring expanded use cases and integration of Kets hardware in Cisco’s ecosystem.
