Digital Quantum Key Distribution (dQKD)

Quantum-Grade Security Without Quantum Hardware Complexity

Hardware QKD requires dedicated fiber with 200km distance barriers. Digital QKD delivers quantum-safe keys globally over existing IP networks at a rate of 1,200 keys/hour.

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Why Digital QKD (DQKD)?

Digital QKD: Software-defined, cloud-native quantum-safe key exchange for global, scalable, and cost-effective protection against future threats.

Digital QKD is the world's first software-defined quantum-safe key exchange system purpose-built for cloud-native enterprises. Prevents against harvest-now-decrypt-later (HNDL) attacks happening today and quantum computers emerging tomorrow.
Unlike hardware QKD bound by fiber and distance, DQKD operates globally over your existing networks—AWS, Azure, hybrid cloud, or internet.
Deploy in hours, not months, and scale effortlessly across any environment. Generate 1,200 quantum-safe keys per hour with seamless integration into existing cloud or hybrid enterprise infrastructure.
Powered by quantum entropy (QRNG), NIST-approved ML-KEM (FIPS 203), and QNu's HODOS algorithm, it delivers agile quantum security at 99% lower cost than hardware solutions.Your data is secure, operations seamless, and investment future-proof.

Top 5 Reasons Why

Deploy Quantum Security in Hours, Not Months
Secure Data Across Any Network with dQKD
Triple-Layer Defence Against Unknown Threats
Integrate Without Disrupting Operations
Adapt to Tomorrow's Standards Today
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For Industries that Cannot Afford Single Points of Failure

For industries vulnerable to quantum threats: Cloud-Native, Financial Services, Healthcare, Government, SaaS, Telecom, Energy sectors.

Competitive Landscape

Comparison Parameter
QNu Labs dQKD
Traditional Players
Infrastructure
Standard IP networks, cloud compatible
Dedicated dark fiber (Hardware QKD) / Standard IP quantum vulnerable (Classical)
Hardware Dependencies
Software-only (optionalQRNG module)
Quantum Physics(Photonics) based equipment (Hardware QKD) / None (Classical)
Distance
Unlimited global reach
100-200km fiber limits (Hardware QKD) / Unlimited quantum vulnerable (Classical)
Deployment
Hours (software install)
Months (fiber provisioning) (Hardware QKD) / Hours quantum vulnerable (Classical)
Capital Expenditure
$10K-$50K per endpoint
$200K-$500K per link (Hardware QKD) / <$5K quantum vulnerable (Classical)
Quantum Resistance
Yes (QRNG + ML-KEM(FIPS 203) +HODOS)
Yes (Hardware QKD) / No - Shor's vulnerable (Classical)
Key Generation
1,200 keys/hour per instance
0.2-0.8 kbps distance-dependent (Hardware QKD) / Millisecondsquantum-vulnerable (Classical)
Cloud Compatibility
Native AWS, Azure, GCP
Fiber-incompatible (Hardware QKD) / Native quantum vulnerable (Classical)
Scalability
Linear horizontal scaling
Fiber-limited (Hardware QKD) / Linear quantum-vulnerable (Classical)
Maintenance
Software updates only
Optical alignment, calibration (Hardware QKD) / Software quantum-vulnerable (Classical)
Standards
ETSI QKD 014, NIST MLKEM, TLS 1.3
ETSI physical layer (Hardware QKD) / IETF TLS 1.3 quantum vulnerable (Classical)
Post-Quantum Crypto
Native ML-KEM(FIPS 203) + HODOS
Limited PQC (Hardware QKD) / Implementation-dependent quantum-vulnerable (Classical)
Sources:

NIST PQC: https://csrc.nist.gov/Projects/post-quantum-cryptography
Classical IKEv2: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7296

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The Quantum Threat Timeline

Safeguard National Infrastructure Against the Coming Quantum Threat with Proven, Scalable, and Future-Ready Security

HNDL Attacks Active Now Adversaries stockpiling encrypted data today for future quantum decryption
NIST 2028 Mandate Full PQC adoption required; enterprises need 3-5 years for migration
Cloud-First Reality 85% of enterprises adopt cloud-first but hardware QKD can't protect cloud workloads
ROI Before Q-Day Average breach costs $4.44M globally; proactive quantum-safe shows positive return now
Act Now vs. Emergency Response Starting today means 2028-2030 completion; waiting means 2031-2035exposure during quantum threat maturity
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Why Digital QKD Leads

Quantum-safe key exchange without the fiber dependency of hardware QKD or the quantumvulnerability of classical encryption.

Software-Defined Orchestration
Deploy on existing infrastructure in hours—bare metal,VMs, or cloud instances with Kubernetes support. Eliminate $50K-$200K/km fiber costs while accelerating protection from 6-12 months to days.
Hybrid Crypto Layered Security
Triple-layer protection: QRNG quantum entropy, NIST ML-KEM(FIPS 203) lattice-based PQC, QNu HODOS proprietary resilience. If one layer fails, two others maintain protection with crypto-agility for uncertain threats.
Unlimited Distance with Cloud-Native
Global reach over any IP network with no 100-200 km photon limits. Sub-30ms key retrieval latency across continents tested on AWS Singapore-US and Azure Global multi-region deployments.
Enterprise-Grade Cloud Power
1,200 keys/hour with 10-28ms retrieval latency. Horizontal scaling for thousands of concurrent sessions. Meets real-time trading/payment SLAs with distance-independentconsistent performance.
Zero Infrastructure Disruption
ETSI GS QKD 014 REST API and SKIP protocol enable drop in integration with VPNs, IPsec, TLS, KMS (AWS KMS, Azure Key Vault, HashiCorp Vault) without network redesign or application rewrites.
Cryptographic Agility
Software-upgradeable algorithms adapt faster than hardware refresh cycles. Support for multiple PQC primitives in parallel with configurable algorithm selection per application avoiding quantum hardware obsolescence.
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dQKD: Enterprise Quantum Network Features

Quantum-safe enterprise key distribution platform combining QRNG, post-quantum algorithms, and scalable integration for secure, standards-compliant data protection.

Quantum Entropy Foundation
QRNG hardware-based true randomness from quantum phenomena
Continuous NIST SP 800-90B entropy quality validation
CR RAO AIMSCS certified quantum random number generation
Post-Quantum Algorithms
ML-KEM(FIPS 203) (CRYSTALS-Kyber) NIST-approved lattice-based KEM
HODOS proprietary algorithm for defense-in-depth
Software-configurable primitives adaptable to evolving NIST standards
Key Generation & Management
3 seconds per 256-bit key; 1,200 keys/hour; linear horizontal scaling
In-memory encrypted storage; automated rotation
Session tracking with complete audit trails
Network & Protocol Support
IPv4/IPv6 dual-stack; TLS 1.3 with PQC cipher suites
HTTPS RESTful APIs (ETSI GS QKD 014); SKIP protocol for VPN
Cloud-tested: AWS, Azure, private clouds
Performance & Scalability
10-28ms key retrieval latency; 25+ apps per node
Horizontal scaling with load balancing
Distance-independent performance
Integration & Interoperability
KMS integration: AWS KMS, Azure Key Vault, HashiCorp Vault
Token-based (OAuth 2.0, JWT) and certificate-based (mutual TLS) authentication
SDKs: Python, Java, C++, Node.js
Security & Compliance
Triple-layer: QRNG + ML-KEM(FIPS 203) + HODOS
25+ applications per node; 1000+ key paths per network
Deployment Models
On-premises (bare metal/VMs); cloud-native (AWS EC2, Azure VMs, GCE)
Hybrid; container (Docker/Kubernetes); managed service (dQKD-as-a-Service)
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How Does Digital QKD Work?

dQKD System Architecture: Alice and Bob servers enable quantum-safe key generation and exchange, supporting application clients over PQC-secured network transport.

Architecture Layers

Layer 1
dQKD Server (Alice): Key generation with QRNG entropy, ML-KEM (FIPS 203) PQC, HODOS algorithm
Layer 2
dQKD Server (Bob): Receiving-side server establishing secure quantum-safe session
Layer 3
Application Clients: End applications requesting keys via ETSI GS QKD 014 REST API
Layer 3
Network Transport: PQC tunnel over IP infrastructure using TLS 1.3 with post-quantum cipher suites

10-Step Operational Workflow

Step 1:

Environment Preparation
Install dQKD → Configure network/firewall → Initialize QRNG → Generate certificates → Configure access

Step 2:

dQKD Server Initialization
Alice-Bob TLS 1.3 PQC connection → Mutual authentication → QRNG entropy pool fill → Self-tests

Step 3:

Quantum-Safe Key Generation
QRNG quantum entropy → NIST validation → ML-KEM (FIPS 203) encapsulation → HODOS layering → In-memory storage (3s)

Step 4:

Application Key Request
App HTTPS POST to dQKD API → Parameters: key size, quantity, session ID → Authentication → Authorization(RBAC)

Step 5:

Key Delivery
Retrieve pre-generated key or generate on-demand → ETSI GS QKD 014 JSON response → TLS 1.3 delivery (10-28ms)

Step 6:

Key Lifecycle Management
Usage tracking → Expiration monitoring (configurable TTL) → Automated rotation → Cryptographic erasure → Audit trail

Step 7:

Multi-Endpoint Communication
Alice generates key → ML-KEM (FIPS 203) encapsulation to Bob over TLS 1.3 PQC → Identical symmetric keys → SKIP VPN integration

Step 8:

Performance Scaling
Deploy additional dQKD instances → Load balancer distributes requests → Geographic placement → Linear capacity scaling

Step 9:

Monitoring & Health Management
Real-time dashboard → Alerting (entropy, latency, capacity) → Metrics export (Prometheus/Grafana) → SIEM logs

Step 10:

Incident Response & Recovery
Server failure: load balancer redirect → Network partition: buffer ops/cached keys → QRNG failure: software PRNGfallback → Security breach: emergency revocation
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Quantum-Safe Infrastructure Starts Here

Harvest-now-decrypt-later is real. Digital QKD enables instant quantum-safe protection for cloud workloads and sensitive data—no need to wait for hardware QKD or infrastructure changes. Deploy quantum security at software speed.
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Frequently asked questions

How does Digital QKD differ from hardware-based QKD?
Is Digital QKD truly "quantum-safe" without quantum photons?
What are the distance limitations?
Can Digital QKD integrate with our existing KMS?
What happens if QRNG hardware fails?
What cloud platforms does Digital QKD support?
How does pricing compare to hardware QKD?
Is Digital QKD compliant with government standards?
Can Digital QKD protect against "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" attacks?
What industries benefit most from Digital QKD?
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