Quantum Safe Networking – with Terry Cronin of Toshiba

For years, the cybersecurity world treated Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) like rival factions, and dismissed QKD as a niche technology requiring expensive dark fiber. In this episode, Terry Cronin, VP of Business Development and Marketing at Toshiba, joins host Konstantinos Karagiannis to shatter those outdated myths. Terry breaks down how Toshiba, alongside Ciena and Quantum Corridor, recently achieved a blistering 1.6 terabits per second over standard, existing lit fiber using multiplexed quantum signals. He also pulls back the curtain on Toshiba’s newly announced Quantum Safe Networking (QSN) platform, explaining how new single-box transceivers, hub-and-spoke architectures, and ETSI-compliant software-defined networking are making hardware-based quantum security practical for telcos, hyperscalers, and enterprises. No team of quantum physicists required.  

Beyond the hardware, this conversation is a wake-up call about the harsh realities of the PQC transition ahead of the quantum computing threat. As the industry realizes that migrating to post-quantum algorithms is neither free nor fast, and with some modality roadmaps estimating Q-Day as early as 2028, Mosca’s theorem is officially out of time for long-shelf-life data. Tune in to hear why QKD is emerging not as a competitor to PQC, but as a critical defense-in-depth layer and an immediate bridge solution for organizations that can't afford to wait five to eight years to complete their cryptographic migrations. Plus, hear how Toshiba’s quantum-inspired Simulated Bifurcation Machine (SBM) fits into the broader vision of optimizing future networks.  

For more on Toshiba, visit https://www.toshiba.eu/solutions/quantum/.

Visit Protiviti at www.protiviti.com/US-en/technology-consulting/quantum-computing-services to learn more about how Protiviti is helping organizations get post-quantum ready.  
Follow host Konstantinos Karagiannis on all socials: @KonstantHacker             
Questions and comments are welcome!  
Theme song by David Schwartz, copyright 2021.  
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