Insider Brief
- SeQure Quantum deployed a quantum-safe communication link between Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional and an electricity sector operator, combining quantum random number generation, post-quantum cryptography, and high-security encryptors to protect critical infrastructure communications.
- The project addresses the growing “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” threat, in which attackers collect encrypted data today with the intention of decrypting it in the future using quantum computers.
- The deployment, validated with support from Thales Group and independently assessed by Dreamlab Technologies, is intended to demonstrate Chile’s ability to develop and operate quantum-safe cybersecurity systems for sectors including energy, telecommunications, finance, water, and defense.
- Photo by Hemerson Coelho on Unsplash
PRESS RELEASE — As quantum computing advances, the conversation around cybersecurity is shifting. The challenge is no longer only about protecting systems against today’s attacks — it’s about preparing critical infrastructure for threats that are already beginning to emerge.
Against that backdrop, SeQure Quantum announced the successful deployment of a quantum-safe communication link between the Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional (CEN) — Chile’s Independent System Operator (ISO) — and an electricity sector operator. The implementation integrated three technologies: Quantum Random Number Generation (QRNG), Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), and high-security network encryptors.
A New Security Layer: Trusting the Origin of Entropy
At the heart of the solution is SeQRNG, capable of generating self-certified quantum entropy in real time. This capability was integrated with post-quantum cryptographic mechanisms and the SeQure High-Security Encryptors, forming a layered security architecture that guarantees cryptographic keys are generated from a fundamentally unpredictable source of randomness.
This distinction matters more than it may seem. The security of modern cryptographic systems depends on the quality of the randomness underpinning them. A conventional pseudorandom number generator can be compromised; one based on quantum phenomena cannot.
“Security no longer depends solely on cryptographic algorithms, but also on trust in the origin of the entropy used to generate cryptographic keys. With this deployment, we demonstrate that Chile can develop and deploy world-class quantum cybersecurity technologies for critical infrastructure,” said Paulina Assmann, SeQure Quantum.
The Risk Already Underway: Harvest Now, Decrypt Later
One of the threat vectors driving this project is the scenario known as Harvest Now, Decrypt Later (HNDL): malicious actors capture and store encrypted communications today, with the expectation of decrypting them in the future using sufficiently powerful quantum computers. This is not a hypothetical threat — the harvesting is already happening. The window to prepare is narrowing.
Electrical infrastructure is a high-value target. Communications between system operators and electricity market participants coordinate real-time operations, and their exposure represents both an operational and national security risk.
“This pilot allowed us to evaluate next-generation technologies aimed at strengthening the protection of strategic communications within the electrical system, incorporating capabilities associated with post-quantum cryptography and verifiable quantum entropy sources,” said Patricio Leyton, Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional.
The deployment was developed by SeQure Quantum, with Thales Group participating as a technology partner. As part of the validation process, the architecture was independently assessed by Dreamlab Technologies, a company specialized in ethical hacking and offensive cybersecurity. Their evaluation helped verify the resilience of the deployed architecture and strengthen confidence in the solution within a real operational environment.
What This Project Means for Chile
This deployment is not just a successful use case. It is evidence that Chile can develop, validate, and operate applied quantum technology in strategic sectors — positioning the country alongside those already responding to NIST standards for post-quantum migration.
The process also included independent validation, reinforcing the reproducibility of the solution and its potential to scale toward other critical infrastructure sectors: telecommunications, water, finance, and defense.
Quantum computing is not the enemy. It is the new environment. And preparing for that environment — with verifiable technology, strategic partners, and the will to operate under real conditions — is exactly what this project demonstrates is possible.
