Publication number: 20230018829
Abstract: A method and system for performing a secure key relay of an encryption key, Kenc, provided by an initial node, KN0, and used by an encoding unit (ENC) of a first data transceiver for encoding plain data, Pdata, to provide encrypted cipher data, Cdata, transported via a data transport link, DTL, to a decoding unit (DEC) of a second data transceiver which decodes the transported cipher data, Cdata, using the relayed encryption key, Kenc, provided by a terminal node, KNN, as a decoding key to retrieve the plain data, Pdata, wherein the relay of the encryption key, Kenc, from the initial node, KN0, to the terminal node, KNN, is performed by means of intermediate relay nodes, KN1, KN2 . . . KNN?1, and comprises the steps of sharing (S1) QKD-keys, K, between the nodes via secure quantum channels, QCH, of a quantum key distribution network, QKDN; performing (S2) encryption of shared QKD-KEYS, K, at the initial node, KN0, and at each intermediate relay node, KN1, KN2 . . .
Type:
Application
Filed:
May 23, 2022
Publication date:
January 19, 2023
Inventors:
Joo Yeon Cho, Helmut Griesser