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Securing terrestrial satellite data
Learn more about network encryption
Terrestrial satellite data NQX

Customer

The customer provides world-leading, high-performance cybersecurity tools to ensure robustness, confidentiality, and integrity for the space internet networks & critical infrastructures, including

  • Satellite communications

  • Ground stations and cloud infrastructure

  • Telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) links

  • Critical infrastructure using satellite connectivity
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Customer challenge: Lack of satellite link security

As satellites transmit data to Earth via radio waves, ground stations serve as the first point of contact, converting these signals into digital information. This data is transmitted over satellite links for further distribution, at which stage become vulnerable against sophisticated attacks. Satellite systems often:

  • have long deployment lifetimes

  • carry sensitive traffic

  • face nation-state threats

What's more, the data transmitted is needs to stay secure over a long period of time. This is why satellite transmissions need to be future-proof against "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks where data secured with classical encryption is captured and decrypted with cryptographically relevant quantum computers once they are available.

Furthermore, the customer had the following requirements:
Ability to maintain optimal output in conditions where the satellite data transport performance is inconsistent
Offer secure satellite link transmissions without changes to existing infrastructure
Future-proof mission-critical data transmission security with post quantum cryptography (PQC) when in transit
High speed secure file transfers built for enterprise scale

Solution: Quantum-safe satellite link transmissions with NQX
Satellite_deployment_NQX

NQX was deployed to secure transmissions between the satellite links and routers/severs, as these connections required improved security.

NQX uses post quantum cryptography (PQC) wtih Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism (ML-KEM).
It is the official NIST-standardized post-quantum key exchange/encryption mechanism. 

 

Unlike many quantum safe solutions, NQX's PQC and software based approach does not have a negative impact on the transmission performance but is able to offer up to 400% better performance over a competing satellite internet system.

Benefits
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Quantum-safe security

Quantum resilient encryption for mission-critical data traveling over satellite links. Certified for the TL III (EU Confidential) level.

High Speed
Optimized performance

Optimized transport layer to improve bandwidth and latency for services driven through satellite links. Up to 400% better performance over competing satellite internet systems.

Seamless Networks
Transparent to services

NQX is non-disruptive and operates without requiring changes to the applications (e.g. satellite payload software), services, routers, servers or user workflows. 

Priviledged-access-management
Control your keys

The customer can create unique encryption keys required to establish quantum-safe connections for full control and maximum security.

Learn more about future-proofing sesitive data with long lifetime.