US Army tests QuSecure post-quantum security on tactical networks

QuSecure’s post-quantum security platform reached technology readiness level seven (TRL 7) after soldiers used it to protect and monitor tactical mission systems during a U.S. Army field exercise.

QuProtect R3 met the TRL 7 criterion of demonstrating a system prototype in an operational environment. The Army’s Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center (C5ISR Center) confirmed the assessment; QuSecure product manager Joey Lupo told SDxCentral.

The Army has not permitted QuSecure to identify the mission systems involved. However, the platform protected about 10 data connections using its QuProtect Resilience component, while QuProtect Reconnaissance continuously monitored more than 50 systems.

The deployment took place during Project Convergence Capstone 6 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. The 10-day experiment brought together about 10,000 U.S. and allied industry participants to test more than 90 technologies, concepts, and formations under operational conditions.

Switching cryptography without downtime

QuProtect secured communications using a post-quantum version of transport-layer security (TLS), with the Commercial National Security Algorithm (CNSA) 2.0-compliant module-lattice-based key-encapsulation mechanism (ML-KEM)-1024 algorithm used for key establishment. Some connections used mutually authenticated post-quantum TLS, requiring both parties to authenticate themselves.