LG Uplus said on the 10th that it joined hands with homomorphic encryption specialist Cryptolab to implement a next-generation security environment that can fundamentally block damage even in the event of hacking or data leaks.
The two companies are conducting a proof-of-concept to apply homomorphic encryption technology to LG Uplus' AI call agent ixi-O and artificial intelligence (AI) contact center (CC·Contact Center), and said that if it is commercialized, the level of customer data protection will be further strengthened against increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks in the AI era.
Homomorphic encryption is a technology that allows data to be computed and used while remaining encrypted. Under conventional encryption, data must be decrypted to be used. From the perspective of corporations, this causes delays and inconvenience, so in many cases they do not encrypt in the first place. Hacking targets this "plaintext data," where encryption has been lifted.
However, homomorphic encryption allows data to be stored, transmitted and used without decryption, so the vulnerability of "plaintext data" does not exist. If hackers breach undecrypted data, what they obtain is merely ciphertext that cannot be deciphered. The company said that using data through homomorphic encryption can fundamentally block damage even if hacking occurs.
LG Uplus sees homomorphic encryption playing an important role in protecting customer information and is expanding collaboration with Cryptolab. Notably, LG Uplus and Cryptolab are currently piloting the application of homomorphic encryption to the AI call agent ixi-O.
ixi-O generates various in-device call data, such as converting voice calls to text in an on-device manner. Through homomorphic encryption, call data are stored in encrypted form, and functions such as searching for keywords within call content are possible without decryption.
Even if call data are leaked outside the device by a hacker, the hacker would obtain only ciphertext, minimizing damage from the breach. In addition, homomorphic encryption is built on lattice-based cryptography like post-quantum cryptography (PQC), enabling safe AI data protection even against cyberattacks using quantum computers.
LG Uplus said homomorphic encryption could also play a key role in AICC. If applied to AICC, sensitive information handled by contact centers, such as personal information and complaint data, can all be stored in encrypted form, and large-scale data comparison and analysis can be conducted without decryption.
Previously, when using accumulated consultation data to extract statistics and other uses, work was carried out with encryption lifted, so if a hacking incident occurred, it led to a large-scale information leak. However, under the homomorphic encryption approach, customer information, questions and answers are all stored in encrypted form and can still be used, allowing statistical analysis and other work to proceed with confidence.
Jang Jae-hyun, Head of Team of the LG Uplus CTO Tech Intelligence team, said, "This collaboration with Cryptolab goes beyond simply strengthening security functions and will serve as a starting point for building LG Uplus' unique, unrivaled technological barrier in response to the Quantum Computing era," adding, "By integrating Cryptolab's world-class computation speed and noise removal technology into our services, we will complete a robust infrastructure that allows customers to use services with peace of mind amid any security threat."
Chun Jeong-hee, CEO of Cryptolab, said, "Through the collaboration with LG Uplus, we were able to confirm the feasibility of applying homomorphic encryption technology to live services," and added, "We will continue to contribute to building safe data utilization environments across various industries."