ITCEN Group's security platform specialist ITCEN PNS announced on the 9th that it will participate in the 2025 zero trust implementation pilot project hosted by the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA). Through this, quantum-resistant encryption (Post-Quantum Cryptography, hereinafter PQC) based security technology will be applied to Hana Bank's domestic and international financial networks.
This project is a task called 'Data-Centric Zero Trust Overlay Financial Network Construction' led by Private Technology, with ITCEN PNS collaborating and Hana Bank participating as a demand institution. In particular, it is expected to serve as a domestic proof case applying PQC-based security technology to actual financial systems, encompassing overseas branches such as New York and London and domestic smart office environments.
The Private Technology Consortium aims to effectively introduce the zero trust model without altering the existing financial networks in operation and plans to enhance practical applicability for corporations through integrated implementation using an overlay method.
Through this project, ITCEN PNS is expected to provide advanced encryption technology solutions capable of responding to microsegmentation and software-defined perimeter, strengthening the authentication system, which is a core element of the zero trust security model.
In this project, ITCEN PNS will implement mutual authentication and section encryption technologies based on quantum-resistant encryption, leading the next-generation encryption technologies that can ensure secure communication even in the era of quantum computing. PQC is gaining attention as a key technology in the global standardization process led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and ITCEN PNS is noted for its plan to implement it at a commercialization level and integrate it into real environments.
Unlike the currently widely used RSA or ECC, PQC is designed with a mathematical foundation that is secure against attacks from quantum computers. It is a key pillar in restructuring security systems in the finance, public, and defense sectors. ITCEN PNS presents a quantum defense-based security model that can respond to enhanced cyber threats by integrating PQC technology into the authentication system and data protection mechanisms of the zero trust security model.
Han Sang-wook, the CEO of ITCEN PNS, said, "As the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum technology accelerates, it becomes difficult to respond to rapidly changing security threats with boundary-based security alone," adding, "Through this project, we will lead the way in presenting a quantum-resistant security model applicable to real environments, achieving digital transformation and security innovation in the financial sector simultaneously."