Q-CIPHER
Q-CIPHER provides end-to-end post-quantum encryption between users, applications and AI models. The gateway routes encrypted traffic without access to its content.
Protection for sensitive traffic
An increasing share of sensitive information is transmitted through APIs and AI models. Q-CIPHER encrypts each message with post-quantum keys before it leaves the client, so that intercepted traffic remains protected both now and in the future.
Hybrid cryptography
Each session combines a classical algorithm and a post-quantum algorithm. Both would have to be broken to compromise the communication.
Zero-access gateway
The gateway processes only encrypted envelopes and signed metadata. A compromise of the gateway does not expose message content.
Audit log
An append-only Merkle audit log, signed with ML-DSA, records access events and can be verified independently.
Standards-based and cross-validated
The cryptographic core is written in Rust and supports two independent backends, RustCrypto and liboqs, which are tested against each other and against NIST Known Answer Tests. The SDK and cryptographic core are published under the Apache 2.0 license.
- KEMX25519 + ML-KEM-1024 (FIPS 203)
- SignaturesEd25519 + ML-DSA-87 (FIPS 204)
- AEADAES-256-GCM · ChaCha20-Poly1305
- KDFHKDF-SHA3-512 with domain separation
- EnvelopeCBOR format, signed metadata, encrypted payload
- ValidationNIST KAT vectors · cross-backend interoperability tests
Key management and integration
Q-CIPHER includes its own public key infrastructure, certificate revocation and key custody, and integrates with existing applications through SDKs.
- GatewayRust proxy based on Pingora · certificate-chain authentication · CRL refresh
- Control planePKI / CA with certificate issuance and revocation
- Key custodyPKCS#11 interface
- SDKsRust · Python · TypeScript / WebAssembly
- OperationsCommand-line tool and dashboard · Docker deployment · Windows installer
Measured performance
Measurements taken on a standard laptop processor (AMD Ryzen 7 5700U) using the default RustCrypto backend. The liboqs backend offers higher performance for post-quantum operations.
Use cases
Q-CIPHER is suited to data flows that require long-term confidentiality.
AI and LLM traffic
Encryption of prompts and responses containing classified, personal or proprietary information between users, agents and model endpoints.
Inter-agency exchange
Secure exchange of records and messages between organizations, without intermediaries having access to their content.
Clinical and citizen records
Demonstrated in a healthcare scenario in which clinical staff query a hospital information system through the gateway, without the gateway accessing patient data.
Crypto-agile migration
Hybrid mode allows post-quantum protection to be introduced alongside existing cryptography, without disruption to current systems.
Evaluate Q-CIPHER
I-314 can define a pilot deployment based on your most sensitive data flows and your key custody requirements.