Hacking Takes Trillions of Years Even with Quantum Computers... LG Uplus Launches World's First 'Quantum-Resistant Encryption Dedicated Line'

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LG Uplus employees inspecting optical transmission equipment with quantum-resistant encryption technology applied. Photo by LG Uplus

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] LG Uplus is providing quantum-resistant encryption, which would take trillions of years to crack even with a quantum computer, making hacking virtually impossible, as a dedicated line service.

On the 21st, LG Uplus launched the world's first 'U+ Quantum-Resistant Encryption Dedicated Line' service. The quantum-resistant encryption communication technology is characterized by its ability to block attacks using quantum computers, which theoretically operate 10 million times faster than existing supercomputers. It would take trillions of years for a quantum computer to solve the mathematical algorithms used.

The new service was created by integrating quantum-resistant encryption technology developed over the past two years with quantum-resistant encryption optical communication equipment, whose technology was successfully developed in 2020, along with Seoul National University Cryptolab and Korea's largest optical transmission equipment company, Kowiver. It is provided as a dedicated service for enterprises, encrypting and decrypting data transmitted and received through dedicated lines using quantum-resistant encryption keys. Quantum-resistant encryption communication has concerns about hacking during the key transmission process, but this issue has been resolved. Instead of installing separate hardware, a software-based approach is adopted, eliminating the need for separate lines or relay nodes, thus enhancing economic efficiency. Choi Jong-bo, team leader at LG Uplus, said, "It can be applied directly to existing dedicated lines without any physical additions."

The first purchasing company has also been confirmed. Team leader Choi said, "Due to customer requests, we cannot disclose the names, but financial institutions, internet data centers (IDCs), as well as IT companies where security is critical, such as metaverse, non-fungible tokens (NFT), and artificial intelligence (AI), are showing interest," adding, "Since it operates via software, it can also be applied to Internet of Things (IoT) environments with limited conditions."

Cybersecurity in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a global agenda. As quantum computers advance, there is a demand to strengthen security, increasing interest in quantum-resistant encryption. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and federal agencies have released a 'Quantum-Resistant Encryption Transition Roadmap' to achieve quantum resistance by 2030, and companies like IBM, Google, and Amazon are working on standardizing quantum-resistant encryption under the leadership of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). LG Uplus is also considering filing technology patents.

LG Uplus plans to expand from dedicated lines to application services such as USIM cards and concert tickets. Koo Sung-chul, head of LG Uplus's wired business division, said, "As a leader in quantum-resistant encryption technology, LG Uplus will create the necessary technological environment and industrial ecosystem to foster the quantum information communication industry as a core national industry through the commercialization of quantum encryption services."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.