Session
Organizer 1: Athanase Bahizire, Youth IGF DRC
Organizer 2: Nicolas Fiumarelli, 🔒Youth IGF Uruguay
Organizer 3: Yug Desai, South Asian University
Speaker 1: João Moreno Falcão, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 2: Wataru Ohgai, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Shifa Sorene Assefa , Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 4: Sofia Silva Berenguer, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 5: Maria Luque, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Khyati Mehta from Sandbox Quantum
Nicolas Fiumarelli, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Athanase Bahizire, Technical Community, African Group
Yug Desai, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Classroom
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The 90-minute classroom format is selected for its effectiveness in facilitating focused discussions and interactive engagement. It allows for detailed presentations on complex cybersecurity topics like Quantum Key Distribution, Resource Public Key Infrastructure, and IoT security, followed by an extensive Q&A session. This setup ensures that all participants, both online and in-person, can interact directly with the experts, making it ideal for both learning and active participation.
A) What strategies can be employed to integrate quantum-resistant technologies within the global digital infrastructure to preempt future cybersecurity threats? B) How can global cooperation be enhanced to ensure the widespread adoption and implementation of RPKI to secure internet routing? C) What are the essential standards and practices needed to bolster IoT security, ensuring its compatibility and security across different digital ecosystems?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants will gain comprehensive insights into the deployment and challenges of advanced cybersecurity technologies like QKD, RPKI, and enhanced IoT security protocols. The discussion will highlight how these technologies can be leveraged to secure digital infrastructure, thereby supporting sustainable development and mitigating risks associated with digital transformation. Attendees will learn about the integration of these technologies into national and international frameworks, enhancing their understanding of global cybersecurity efforts and having the opportunity to engage on-site or online in 30 minutes Q&A with the panelists.
Description:
This youth-led session addresses the vital role of advanced cybersecurity measures like Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI), and IoT security in fostering sustainable digital innovation. With the increasing reliance on digital technologies in critical sectors such as healthcare, education, and economic development, the importance of robust cybersecurity frameworks cannot be overstated. This workshop brings together leading experts to discuss integrating these technologies within the global digital infrastructure, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges posed by rapid technological advancements. Maria Luque, Managing Director at Future Literacy Group and expert in Quantum Technologies will delve into QKD and its integration with existing security protocols under the ITU-T Y.3800 framework, addressing potential quantum computing threats. Khyati Mehta from Sandbox Quantum will bring her insights into quantum security. Wataru Ohgai from JPNIC will discuss the critical role of RPKI in securing Internet routing. At the same time, Sofia Silva Berenguer from APNIC will shed light on the collaborative efforts of the NRO RPKI Program to deploy RPKI across different regions. Joao Moreno Falcao from DC-IS3C will cover recent developments in IoT security standards, focusing on ensuring interoperability and robustness in increasingly connected environments. Sorene Assefa from UNECA will discuss the application of these security measures within governance frameworks, particularly in the African context. The session will be highly interactive, with a real-time collaborative document for attendees and a structured Q&A facilitated by onsite and online moderators, ensuring inclusive participation. Open Discussion and Audience Q&A (30 minutes) Moderator: Athanase Bahizire (Youth DRF Congo) * The panelists engage with the audience, addressing questions and expanding on the discussion topics. Closing Remarks and Future Directions (5 minutes) Rapporteur: Yug Desai * Summary of discussions, key takeaways, and mention of follow-up actions.
The workshop aims to develop a collaborative report that encapsulates the discussions, expert insights, and strategic recommendations on enhancing global cybersecurity measures. This report will serve as a foundational document for stakeholders involved in digital policy making, contributing to ongoing efforts to fortify digital infrastructures against emerging threats. Additionally, the session will foster a network of collaboration among international experts, encouraging ongoing dialogue and action to address the vulnerabilities inherent in our rapidly evolving digital world.
Hybrid Format: To ensure a balanced and interactive hybrid session, our approach includes: Coordinated Moderation: We will feature both an onsite and an online moderator, each taking active roles during different segments of the agenda to ensure smooth interaction across all participant groups. The online moderator will be projected onsite via a large screen to seamlessly connect audiences, and will use the Official Online Participation Platform. Round Robin Q&A: For the 30-minute Q&A segment, questions will be taken alternately from online and onsite attendees using a round-robin method. This approach ensures that participation is evenly distributed among all stakeholders.
Report
Quantum sensing, computing, and communication are transforming industries by providing high-precision data critical for sectors such as healthcare, defense, and energy transition. However, the advent of Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computers (CRQC) poses significant cybersecurity risks, necessitating immediate investment in quantum-safe security measures and alignment of national and international policies.
The Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) enhances the security of the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) by cryptographically verifying routing intentions. While Route Origin Authorizations (ROAs) are being adopted, challenges persist in Route Origin Validation (ROV) implementation due to collective action problems and a lack of incentives. Adoption is critical as governments and major networks increasingly require compliance.
Policymakers and industry leaders are called to accelerate the development and deployment of quantum-safe security frameworks to address vulnerabilities introduced by quantum technologies. It is crucial to foster international collaboration to establish interoperable standards and policies, ensuring a secure transition to quantum-enabled systems.
Technical Communities and Network Operators are called to increase awareness and capacity building for RPKI implementation, particularly focusing on ROV to achieve universal adoption. To achieve this, they need to collaborate with regulatory bodies to establish incentives and mandates for securing Internet routing against current and future threats, including quantum computing.
This session detailed how quantum sensing and computing have ushered in a new era of capabilities through precise sensing networks, transforming sectors from healthcare to defense and the security of the military infrastructure. Sensing is a mature technology allowing precise electromagnetic field detection, and quantum technology can empower energy transition through sensing and sharing data via IoT devices. Critical data will predominantly be gathered through quantum technology, making it essential to train and advance knowledge models for computing solutions for security and energy transition challenges.
Regarding cybersecurity challenges, the speakers warned that the advent of CRQC (Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computer) threatens the optimistic future promised by quantum technology, as current standards and cybersecurity frameworks in industrial environments are insufficient and rely on cybersecurity by obscurity. It was stressed that protecting future AI, quantum, and space investment depends on securing the data that powers them, making quantum security essential. It was also noted that governments are taking action by providing migration advice, while hyperscalers like Amazon and Google are introducing quantum solutions in cloud-based platforms. The importance of aligning national and international policies in this migration was emphasized.
It was also mentioned that Europe's Iris 2 constellation would be ready for optical communication, with active work on QKD (Quantum Key Distribution) in classical networks showing rapid advances in quantum communication technology. Highlighting the crucial challenge of interoperability with existing infrastructure and the importance of standards, noting that technical advancements like quantum memory are still needed. It was also stated that global quantum investments are outpacing historical projects, quantum-gathered data is needed for knowledge models to advance AI in high-performance computation, and we shall soon be dealing with sensitive data in critical infrastructure, making immediate investment in quantum security crucial.
Our speakers explained how the internet functions as a network of networks using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) for network communication. Noting that this protocol was designed with trust assumptions that proved inadequate, necessitating a secure method while maintaining existing infrastructure. She detailed how the Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) layer adds security to BGP through cryptographically verifiable routing intentions, implemented via Route Origin Authorisations (ROAs) and Route Origin Validation (ROVs).
It was observed that while ROAs are being rapidly adopted, ROV adoption data is less clear, with varying opinions on RPKI's success depending on measurement methods and perspectives. Challenges in both ROA and ROV adoption were outlined, including the collective action problem requiring all Autonomous Systems to implement the solution, creating a chicken-and-egg situation with adoption incentives. It was noted that non-technical decision-makers often struggle to appreciate implementation benefits and are wary of investment. It was suggested to encourage adoption through awareness, capacity building, engagement, system improvements, regulation-based approaches, and reputation-based approaches, with Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) providing support through the NRO RPKI program. The quantum safety of RPKI validation was also addressed, explaining that it is not quantum-safe since quantum computing could undermine the current cryptographic standards and thus affect RPKI.