Sitehop: Yorkshire cybersecurity firm's 'big moment' as it runs successful technology trial with BT
An innovative Yorkshire cybersecurity company has successfully trialled its quantum-resistant encryption technology with telecommunications giant BT.
Sheffield-based Sitehop is the first-ever company to be granted external access to BT’s flagship test and integration facility at Adastral Park in Ipswich. The facility is a secure replica of BT’s live network environment and normally reserved for internal development.
A blogpost by BT explained: “BT is exploring how it can support the UK’s telecoms ecosystem by giving SME technology innovators access to its test environment. A barrier to entry to market for SMEs can be assuring trust in technology products when they are put into a live network.
"In a bid to lower the barrier to market entry, BT is exploring the potential of issuing ‘Safe to Connect’ certification for SMEs whose technologies demonstrate robust performance and security within BT’s live network replica.”
The trial proved that Sitehop’s SAFE Series hardware can run high-speed encryption with near-zero impact on performance, even in demanding telecom conditions. It comes against the backdrop of the Government naming quantum one of its six frontier technologies for long-term economic growth.
A quantum cyberattack refers to the potential ability of future computers to break current encryption methods, such as those used for online banking.
Following the successful trial, BT has awarded Sitehop its Safe to Connect certification, a recognition designed to help UK companies prove their technologies are robust enough for live telecom environments. The certification demonstrates to operators, enterprises and government buyers that Sitehop’s technology meets the security, performance and integration standards expected in critical national infrastructure.
A Sitehop blog post said the trial had demonstrated “encryption built for a quantum-safe future doesn’t have to come at the cost of speed or scale”.
Melissa Chambers, co-founder and CEO of Sitehop, said: “This is a big moment that validates that UK sovereign innovation can play a central role in the country’s digital infrastructure. We’re proving that networks don’t have to sacrifice performance for security.”
Peter Bell, Managing Director of International Business and Managing Director of Adastral Park for BT, said: "Supporting SMEs is vital for the UK’s economic growth and innovation.
"As a national champion for the UK, a key mission for BT is to help our customers build stronger, smarter, more secure businesses. An important part of this is helping innovative domestic companies to enter the market, to support supply chain sovereignty and help businesses to grow.
"With the right support or partnerships and commercial models, we see there is potential for BT’s test and integration facilities to serve as a ‘UK PLC’ test facility that accelerates mission-led, high Technology Readiness Level (TRL) innovations, contributing to a sovereign and secure UK telecoms sector."