SpeQtral is teaming up with Antaris to develop quantum-safe satellites that keep data and communications secure, the companies announced today.
Play your part: Under the partnership, Singaporean-based SpeQtral’s quantum payloads and quantum key distribution (QKD) will integrate with software from Antaris to provide tamper-proof data transmission in orbit. The latter company will also develop a digital twin of the satellite to allow customers to simulate missions before getting to orbit. The QKD protects onboard applications—like downlinks and commands—to keep data safe.
Government data: Satellite cybersecurity is particularly relevant for the government, which faces a barrage of cyberattacks from adversaries with quantum computing capabilities.
“Until now, quantum-safe networking satellites have been out of reach to all but a handful of governments,” said SpeQtral chief Lum Chune Yang. “By working with Antaris, we are able to offer affordable, dedicated missions to government and defense customers as a turnkey solution delivered in orbit.”
The threat: Space-based data has become increasingly interconnected, exponentially increasing the number of attack surfaces for adversaries to exploit. And with our economy and national security dependent on space-based data, the cost of failure due to a cyberattack is often high.
Cyberwarfare: Cyber-attacks have also become a popular weapon for state actors, who can unleash asymmetrical attacks on critical space assets and communications—as we saw during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine when the Kremlin attacked both Viasat and Starlink systems.
