Quantum computing company IonQ (IONQ) is collaborating with the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) to set up a zero trust security framework for quantum architectures.
The company said the collaboration is aimed at advancing the state of quantum computing security by analyzing existing commercial quantum computing security practices with an aim to understand what it would take to deploy Zero Trust Architecture, or ZTA, to future quantum computers.
ZTA is a cybersecurity framework based on the principle of never trusting and always verifying.
IonQ noted that it is teaming up with ARLIS on SEQCURE (Securing Experimental Quantum Computing Usage in Research Environments), a program sponsored by the Secretary of the Air Force’s Concepts, Development, and Management Office.
ARLIS is a U.S. Department of Defense-designated University Affiliated Research Center, or UARC, based at the University of Maryland.
The company said that through this project, it will assist ARLIS in defining a ZTA framework based on standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, ensuring quantum technologies can be deployed securely across hardware, software, data, and cloud environments.
The resulting architecture standards will guide trusted integration across federal agencies, according to the company.
“This project with ARLIS is a definitive step in creating the secure, verifiable framework required for the future of the quantum internet and national-scale deployments,” said IonQ’s Chairman and CEO Niccolo de Masi.
The partnership builds on IonQ’s portfolio of federal partnerships, including existing contracts with ARLIS, DARPA, and the U.S. Air Force Research Lab.
Shares of IonQ were largely flat premarket on Tuesday.