| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20100293380 | QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY APPARATUS - The method involves exchange of a quantum signal between a first quantum node and a second quantum node as is usual in known quantum key distribution (QKD) scheme. The first quantum node communicates details of the quantum signal it sent or received with a first remote node. The first remote node thus has all the information to required to take the place of the first quantum node in the key agreement step with the second quantum node. The first quantum node may be arranged to transmit the quantum signal to the second quantum node, in which ease the invention provides a distributed quantum transmitter with the control logic in the first remote node being distributed remotely from the actual quantum transmitter in the first quantum node. Communications between the first remote node and first quantum node may comprise or be protected by a quantum key derived by conventional QKD. | 11-18-2010 |
| 20100299526 | NETWORK HAVING QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION - A method of performing quantum key distribution across a network. The method involves a first node first agreeing a quantum key with a first intermediate node in the path. Next the intermediate node exchanges a quantum signal with the next node in the path—which is a targeted node. The intermediate node communicates with the first node using the previous established quantum key details of the quantum signal sent or received by the intermediate node. The first node then performs a key agreement step to agree a quantum key directly with the targeted node. Having established a quantum key with the current targeted node the method can be repeated but with the next node in the network path as the targeted node until a destination node is reached. The final quantum key agreed with the destination node can then be used for encrypting communication between those nodes across the network. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20100329459 | MULTI-COMMUNITY NETWORK WITH QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION - This invention relates to an optical star network in which different communities of users, such as different businesses, are provided through use of quantum key distribution (QKD). At least one QKD device is located at the central hub of the star network and communicates with QKD devices at the endpoints to establish a separate quantum key, i.e. a cryptographic key established by QKD, with each endpoint. A separate key manager is provided for each different community and each key manager is arranged to use the appropriate quantum keys for endpoints within that community to deliver the same community key to each endpoint. This community key can be used by for encrypting network traffic between members of the same community with security. Traffic passing through the network switch is encrypted, but the community keys are not delivered via the switch and hence the switch an error in the switch does not compromise security. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20110069972 | MULTIPLEXED QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION - The present invention relates to an improved quantum signal transmitter, which has a plurality of quantum output channels having at least one optical source and at least one optical splitter acting on the output of said at least one source. Such a transmitter can easily be used with existing passive optical network (PON) systems and can be a compact piece of equipment | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110213979 | QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION - The invention relates to methods and apparatus for Quantum key distribution. Such methods including authenticating a first node in a communications network with a remote node in the communications network. The authentication may include connecting an authentication device to the first node, agreeing a quantum key between the first node and the remote node based on a quantum signal transmitted or received by the first node and performing an authentication step between the authentication device and the remote node on an encrypted channel. Authentication between the authentication device and remote node may be taken as authentication of the first node. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110228937 | METHOD OF ESTABLISHING A QUANTUM KEY FOR USE BETWEEN NETWORK NODES - A method of establishing a quantum key for use between a first network node (QNode | 09-22-2011 |
| 20110231665 | METHOD OF PERFORMING AUTHENTICATION BETWEEN NETWORK NODES - A method of authentication between first (QNodeX) and second (QNodeY) network nodes within a network suitable for implementing quantum cryptography comprises steps in which the first and second nodes each generate a cryptographic hash ([MXY]AI, [MYX]AJ) of a message ([MXY], [MYX]) using respective authentication keys (AI, AJ) shared with a third network node (QNodeW). The messages may be those exchanged between the first and second nodes during agreement of a quantum key to be used between the nodes. An authentication key to be shared by the first and second nodes may be established using the quantum key. The invention therefore allows an authentication key to be established and shared between the first and second network nodes without direct physical intervention. Networks having large numbers of network nodes may be re-keyed following replacement or maintenance of a network node much more quickly and easily than is the case where re-keying is achieved by physically supplying shared authentication keys. | 09-22-2011 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20080209542 | Communications Systems Firewall - Methods, apparatus, programs and signals for providing communications network security. The approach is based on using established “standard” protocols, but packets (or cells or frames) are deliberately malformed by the sender, optionally according to a predetermined rule (for example by inverting a packet check digit). A filter forwards only packets identified as being invalid, optionally in accordance with the rule; packets which are valid with respect to the “standard” protocol are dropped. The filter is preferably implemented in hardware to mitigate the risk of its being compromised by a malicious attack. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20090282484 | COMPUTER SECURITY - Method and apparatus for mitigating the effects of security threat involving malicious code concealed in computer files (for example computer viruses, etc.). The method operates by inserting additional strings of arbitrary length within computer files of known type which may contain such security threats. The strings are chosen to have no substantial effect on the files in normal operation, but potentially disrupt attack code located in the file. Inserted sequences may incorporate a character sequence which, if interpreted as code, halts execution of that program. Alternatively, or in addition, character sequences may be deleted or reordered provided that they have no effect on normal interpretation of the file. As a result, the effect of malicious code operating successfully as intended by an attacker may be mitigated. The methods do not require prior knowledge of the nature of a specific threat and so provide threat mitigation for previously unidentified threats. | 11-12-2009 |
