OVERVIEW

The project united iQuila, Quantum Dice, and Cranfield University to develop a protocol for securing critical national infrastructure (CNI). Quantum Dice’s DISC™-protected Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) was integrated into iQuila Tempus’ Software Defined Networking (SDN) platform, showcasing resilient, scalable, and secure dissemination of traceable time from Time and Frequency Innovation Node at Cranfield’s Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC).

THE CHALLENGE

Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) faces escalating threats from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) disruptions and cyberattacks. A 2023 UK Government report estimated the cost of an instantaneous GNSS outage at £1.4 billion, rising to £7.64 billion for a seven-day disruption(1). GNSS availability also varies significantly for autonomous and mobile systems. Traditional timing and encryption systems lack scalability, randomness, and resilience, making them inadequate to meet these growing threats. The project aimed to resolve these vulnerabilities by ensuring a secure and reliable timing dissemination source for diverse platforms, while addressing cryptographic predictability to protect CNI and autonomous systems using the network.

THE SOLUTION

The National Timing Centre required a demonstrator project to showcase resilient time, frequency, and synchronisation (TFS) technologies to support critical national infrastructure and build a robust TFS ecosystem.

iQuila wanted to deliver a secure, scalable solution for high-security timing dissemination and reliable key generation through their new Tempus platform.

Cranfield University, home to an NPL Time and Frequency Innovation Node, sought to demonstrate independence, resilience, and trust through traceable and secure timing dissemination. Contributing to a nationally distributed time infrastructure, Cranfield developed and showcased cutting-edge TFS capabilities at its DARTeC facility.

Deployed at Cranfield, the system demonstrated its effectiveness in live scenarios, addressing CNI demands and enabling secure timing dissemination to autonomous and smart systems via a software-defined, fully encrypted network.

Quantum Dice’s DISC™ QRNG enables iQuila to offer its CNI and enterprise stakeholders the following benefits of a quantum-enhanced timing dissemination solution:

• DISC™ QRNG for 4096-bit Key Generation: Eliminates predictability, protecting against sophisticated cyber threats.

• Resilient Timing Dissemination: Fault-tolerant to ensure uninterrupted operations even in GNSS-compromised environments.

• Scalable Infrastructure: Supports diverse autonomous platforms, from drones to smart city applications and scalable up to thousands of connections.

References:
(1) The Economic Impact on the UK of a Disruption to GNSS: Executive Summary. GOV.UK, October 2023