Quantum computing to protect against cyber attacks
The Port of Rotterdam has become the first port authority and critical infrastructure to test quantum key distribution (QKD) to protect against cyberattacks. Erwin Rademaker, its ideologist, explains to PierNext how quantum computing is closely linked to the Dutch port's innovation strategy of betting on technologies a decade ahead.
Posted on
01.23.2025
Quantum leap in the port of Rotterdam
Cyber-attacks are currently the Achilles heel of the maritime and port sector. According to the study “Shifting tides, Rising Ransoms and Critical decisions. Progress on maritime cyber risks management maturity” by Thetius, CyberOwl, and HFW, in 2022, 36% of respondents felt that their organizations had been the target of a cyber attack; in the 2023 survey the response was similar (35%), but the cost of such attacks had increased by 200%.
And according to a study by IBM, a single data breach costs an organization in the transportation industry an average of $4.18 million.
To address this vulnerability, Rotterdam has become the first port in the world to test Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), a communication method that runs a cryptographic protocol that prevents access to sensitive information by creating communication channels that detect any access attempt and ensure that cryptographic keys are exchanged securely.
- QKD technology is based on the laws of physics. “This means that if you have two quantum particles intertwined and someone wants to access one of them, the other will immediately change state. This way we know that someone tried to break into the system, because in the case of quantum-protected messages, when they change state they disappear. This feature motivated our decision to go with quantum key distribution, because it gives you an infinite and sustainable encryption method,” Erwin Rademaker, head of Horizon-3 innovations at the Dutch port, tells PierNext.
Currently, he does not explain, post-quantum encryption (PQC) methods, cryptographic systems designed to be resilient against the potential threat of quantum computers, are being developed to replace or complement traditional cryptographic systems.
“If, as in our case, it is a critical infrastructure, it is a great opportunity for innovation. This is what we did when Quantum Delta Netherlands invited us to join their program and design a proof of concept at our port,” Rademaker shares.
Rotterdam proof of concept
The Rotterdam proof of conceptThe aforementioned Quantum Delta NL and a consortium consisting of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Q*Bird, Single Quantum, Cisco, Eurofiber, Portbase, Intermax and InnovationQuarter tested a scalable quantum network connection in the port based on multipoint connections.
Q*Bird, a company that develops hardware and software to support the development of quantum networks, from QKD to the full quantum Internet, installed a hub to create a quantum network in the data center of Eurofiber, a digital infrastructure provider. This central nexus has been connected to two endpoints located at Portbase, the digital platform connecting Dutch ports, and the Port of Rotterdam Authority. During the test period, these two endpoints exchanged data protected with quantum keys.
Key generation and distribution takes place in the quantum network, where Q*Bird uses a unique multipoint-to-multipoint configuration. Erwin Rademaker explains that this is a star-shaped network to which nodes are connected and can communicate with each other via the central nexus in the middle, similar to how connections work on the Internet.
- “In this quarter we are going to install the last two multipoints, with customs and the Q*Bird test lab, to measure key ratios and other values. The first stage was a success and, now, in addition to building a front-end application, we are simulating messages about vessel positions and we will delve into highly sensitive information such as container scanning,” he describes.
- For the remaining two months, he explains that the Q*Bird lab will attempt to simulate multi-user messages such as those exchanged during a port call involving the ship, terminal, tugs, pilots, etc., to test various use cases and message types.
- Once the proof of concept concludes in March, they will spend approximately three months evaluating the technological results and funding, and the challenges they have encountered along the way.
European and U.S. commitment to quantum technology
The Rotterdam project is supported by European and Dutch subsidies. In the case of the EU, in December 2023, the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council launched a declaration signed by the States recognizing the strategic importance of quantum technologies for the EU's scientific and industrial competitiveness.
They are also committed to collaborate in the development of a world-class quantum technology ecosystem across Europe and to become the leading region in quantum excellence and innovation.
Rademaker highlights what is happening in the U.S. Specifically, the Biden Cybersecurity Act, which states that all critical infrastructure in the country must adopt quantum technology by 2035. “The EU is preparing a similar directive and when it's ready it will help get investment and other support, but we're not there yet,” Rademaker notes.
- As far as the sector is concerned, Hamburg is another of the pioneering ports in exploring this technology. In this case, and as part of the European MOZART project, in 2021 it optimized the 35 traffic lights that regulate the entry and exit of the almost 20,000 trucks that circulate daily through its facilities, which has reduced CO2 emissions by 9% and travel time by 15%.
- Los Angeles also regulates its truck traffic with a quantum computer. D-Waves, a pioneer in quantum computing, is leading a project whose main objectives were to reduce truck waiting times and minimize the total distance traveled by cranes. The application optimizes crane movements to select the most efficient container loading order based on various parameters. This approach has significantly reduced the average waiting time from two to three hours to less than one hour.
- Finally, the CMA CGM Group will create a Quantum Center of Excellence for shipping and logistics in partnership with Pasqal. The shipping company seeks to improve the efficiency of its operations and its ability to respond and adapt to market fluctuations. An initial use case is to optimize the management of containers, including their cargo, on ships as efficiently as possible.
Another reason to bet on quantum is that it is on the list of key technologies of the European Union and also of the Dutch government. For port managers, Rademaker recommends analyzing the investment risks and assessing whether the solution in question is more worthwhile than the consequences of threats that we sometimes do not quantify until they happen.
Rotterdam's decade-long innovation strategy
Erwin Rademaker explains that the Port of Rotterdam envisions innovation from three levels, which they call horizons:
- The first horizon is that technology that is ready and for which there is already a port use case that allows it to be implemented immediately.
- The second refers to the availability of technology for which, however, there is no defined use. For example, it cites blockchain.
- The third, and that of its competitors, is the one that bets on a technology that, despite not being ready, anticipates its importance in the medium term in order to be a prescriber of it.
