OVHCLOUD announces the deployment of SSL certificates generated from random numbers from quantum computers. This innovation, made possible by the acquisition of a quantum computer developed by the French Deeptech Quandela, positions the European cloud actor as a global pioneer in strengthening the security of web communications.
The generation of random numbers is a critical element of encryption. Traditional electronic circuits produce consequences which, in the long term, can present exploitable biases. By relying on the properties of quantum physics, OVHCLOUD introduces total unpredictability in the creation of keys. The process, protected by patent and described as “certifiable hazard”, must guarantee the confidentiality of exchanges on the accommodated sites.
Julien Levrard, Director of Safety of OVHCLOUD Information Systems, specifies: “The use of quantum IT to strengthen the level of security of encryption certificates is not only a world technological first which aims to anticipate the evolution of threats but it is also the very definition of the vision that we have of innovation at OVHCloud. »A practical innovation far from the futuristic proposals of competition.
This choice distinguishes OVHCloud from American and Asian giants, which focus their efforts on post-fantasy encryption, that is to say algorithms designed to resist future quantum computers but still based on a classic pseudo-random generation.
The deployment, started in September, will cover nearly five million websites by the end of October. Certificates, issued free of charge in partnership with Let’s Encrypt, will retain total compatibility with all existing browsers. This initiative illustrates the OVHCLOUD strategy, which articulates continuous innovation, cybersecurity, digital sovereignty and quantum research. The French hyperscaler asserted himself as a pioneer on this ground, constituting in 2021 a team dedicated to the quantum, with his head Fanny Bouton and Miroslaw Klaba.
Founded in Roubaix, OVHCLOUD operates more than 450,000 servers in 44 data centers spread over four continents, serving 1.6 million customers in 140 countries. The group claims industrial independence thanks to its integrated model, from the design of servers to the exploitation of data centers, and pursues an innovation policy focused on sovereignty and energy performance.
