UK Quantum Networks: Navigating Strategy & Security Challenges
The UK's ambitious goal to build the world's most advanced, large scale quantum network by 2035 faces critical governance challenges. Strategic clarity is urgently needed to maintain first-mover advantage in this transformative technology.
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The Strategic Disconnect
The Labour government's new Industrial Strategy continues strong supports for the UK's world leading National Quantum Technology Programme. However, this faces a critical misalignment between the technology the programme has developed to date and cybersecurity guidance on quantum networks.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has published a white paper that:
  • Strongly discourages the use quantum key distribution (QKD)
  • Recognizes potential for quantum random number generation (QRNG)
  • Acknowledges only non-security applications for quantum networks
This position is not new, and it is not unique.
This disconnect threatens UK competitiveness in quantum networking technologies. QKD has been a notable success from a decade of R&D investment.
Quantum Networks: Three Competing Pathways
Current QKD Technology
Harness commercial momentum with deployable QKD solutions. UK quantum industry could implement this immediately as the most cost-effective approach.
MDI-QKD Networks
Jump to Measurement Device Independent QKD technology. More tightly coupled with technology for distributed quantum computing, but not ready for national-scale deployment.
Entanglement-Based Networks
Target fully entanglement-based technologies directly. The true ultimate goal. But this creates a longer "valley of death" requiring sustained sovereign funding.
The UK's quantum competitiveness depends on resolving this strategic ambiguity. Industry leaders seek clarity to maintain UK investment.
The Missing QKD Use Case
The NCSC paper fails to highlight a critical use case for quantum key distribution: enduring security. When combined with post-quantum cryptography, QKD provides unique protection.
Authentication only needs to hold in real-time. QKD prevents future exploitation of intercepted communications if computational vulnerabilities are later discovered.
Even crypto-agility cannot protect already transmitted messages from future attacks. QKD offers an orthogonal layer of protection against this vulnerability.
Governance Challenges
Conflicting Expertise
Cybersecurity authorities staffed by math-based cryptography experts. Quantum alternatives developed by physicists from different traditions. Program governance must bridge this divide.
Policy Evolution
UK quantum strategy has survived changes across Conservative and Labour governments. The program now faces an implementation challenge requiring a coordinated "whole of government" approach.
Regulatory Uncertainty
NCSC statement that QKD won't constitute evidence under Cyber Assessment Framework undermines UK QKD industry. Uncertainty deters high-tech investment.
The timing of the NCSC white paper appears to preempt rather than reinforce an overall strategy from the Office of Quantum.
The Path Forward
Principles-based assurance should evaluate technologies on their merits. The National Cyber Strategy adopted the Cyber Assessment Framework designed to be outcome-oriented and evidence-based.
The UK QKD community has been working on QAssure, a £2M project to establish security assurance frameworks, yet NCSC remains notably absent.
Without strategic clarity on the UK's Quantum Networks Mission, a valuable opportunity for UK plc will be squandered. The time for decisive action is now.