Australian startup Quantum Lock says it is using quantum mechanics to verify whether embedded devices in critical infrastructure have been compromised, aiming to provide continuous monitoring rather than relying on traditional defensive controls.
The company is led by UNSW researcher-turned-founder Dr Jesse Laeuchli, who points to recent cyber incidents affecting operational technology and connected systems as evidence of a gap in infrastructure security assurance.
“We’ve seen recently that nation states are able to compromise these embedded devices and cause tremendous economic and strategic harm,” Dr Laeuchli says. “The computers running power stations, data centres, drones and satellites are all vulnerable. There’s no way to be sure that those devices haven’t been hacked.”
Quantum Lock’s approach is based on quantum entanglement, which the company says enables a communications method that an adversary cannot covertly intercept or spoof. The release describes the system as a “quantum teleporter” that transmits a quantum state between two points, allowing device trustworthiness to be checked and tampering to be detected.
“A quantum teleporter is something where if you share these entangled particles, you can get a quantum state instantly from one spot to another,” Dr Laeuchli says. “So an adversary can’t interact with that communication channel, and if you’ve got this quantum teleporter, you can’t give it away. We know who we’re talking to, and we’ve got this communication channel that an attacker can’t interact with.
“If you have those two things, you can build really powerful security protocols.”
The company says its system is designed to identify an initial compromise early, before an attacker can move laterally through a network. Dr Laeuchli said the technology provided continuous monitoring “so you know in real time when the attack happens”.
Quantum Lock has secured $1.2 million in Australian venture capital funding to commercialise the product, according to the release. It has also received funding through Defence Trailblazer and Quantum Australia and has held early discussions with Amazon Web Services and JP Morgan about securing data centre infrastructure and financial systems.
Dr Laeuchli’s background includes a PhD in particle physics simulations at the College of William and Mary in the United States and five years in US government roles, including the National Security Agency. He later worked at the CIA before moving to Australia, taking roles at Deakin University and UNSW Canberra before transferring to UNSW Sydney, where he is a member of the UNSW Institute for Cyber Security and teaches Network Defence and Introduction to Programming.
“A lot of people who understand quantum don’t understand cyber security, and a lot of people who understand cyber security don’t understand quantum,” he says.
Quantum Lock’s management team includes UNSW alumni and staff, with UNSW alumnus Gary Zamel listed as executive chairman, UNSW alumnus Kieran Singh as commercial manager, and UNSW Institute for Cyber Security member Arash Shaghaghi as engineering lead.
Trials are planned in the United States later this year alongside a US capital raise, and the company is scheduled to present at a Quantum Australia showcase in Canberra this month, the release said.
