Nokia will provide network equipment for IP Telecom to build an encrypted optical Data Centre Interconnect (DCI) solution. The network will use 100Gbps and 200Gbps data rates and is apparently ready to offer 400GE services in the future.
Nokia claims that sophisticated data theft has increased and that line encryption should prevent unauthorised data eavesdropping on the fibre network.
The kit it will provide as part of the deal includes the 1830 Photonic Services Switch (PSS), the 1830 Photonic Services Interconnect - Modular (PSI-M) optical transport platform and the 1830 SMS security management server.
The 1830 SMS platform is where the secure numbers are handled. Nokia says the solution runs optical link encryption from a central location and "immediately protects against highly sophisticated brute force attacks, including threats from emerging quantum computers."
IP Telecom has data centres in Lisbon, Porto and Viseu and this network expansion will give it access to other nodes throughout Portugal.
"Nokia's modular optical networking solution allows us to easily upgrade each customer's cloud DCI as needed, while alleviating any concerns about data protection."
Nokia's Head of Enterprise for Spain and Portugal said, "This deal highlights Nokia's role as a major player in the Portuguese ICT ecosystem with an expanding footprint in the country. ip Telecom is an outstanding service provider in Portugal, offering a range of services to businesses and governments. We are delighted that the operator has chosen us to expand the capacity of its cloud DCI network to connect Portugal in an economical way while providing a high level of security. This really sets IP Telecom apart from its peers."
As with any new technology, the development of quantum computing presents both opportunities and threats. The huge processing speeds can help solve any number of problems, whether it's cracking scientific and engineering puzzles or mapping stars, and can also be used to aggressively rough up less sophisticated security measures.
Last month, an EU-backed consortium said it now had a blueprint for a quantum network architecture that would protect the EU's critical communications infrastructure. EuroQCI will protect sensitive data and critical infrastructure by integrating quantum-based systems into existing communications infrastructure, providing an additional layer of security based on quantum physics," the commission said. It will enhance the protection of European government agencies, their data centres, hospitals, energy networks, etc., and become one of the main pillars of the EU's new cybersecurity strategy for the coming decades."
On the one hand, cyber security has always been an arms race, with hackers and security/technology companies trying to master each other's methods. However, the potential step change of a significantly more powerful computing model makes existing defences obsolete in many ways, which represents something beyond the usual cat-and-mouse game of hackers and cyber security types. The dangers and possibilities represented by quantum computing will certainly become a more important aspect of future security strategies, both in the private and public sectors.
