Sven Bettendorf

I had my first real contact with TÜVIT at ITS.Connect, a job fair for IT security at Ruhr University Bochum. I then applied while I was still studying and started in October 2019. That was just before the coronavirus pandemic. I started as a working student and also wrote my Master's thesis here. I then moved to the lab as a permanent employee. At that time, you were only allowed to sit alone in the office due to the coronavirus regulations and the canteen was closed at times. That's why there was no longer a traditional job interview. Instead, I spoke briefly to my line manager and asked him whether there was a possibility of being taken on. A short time later, I had a contract on my desk. That was my start at TÜVIT, everything was great.

At the moment, I'm primarily involved in setting up our new quantum key distribution (QKD) lab. I generally spend a lot of time in the office, as it's important for me to be able to talk to colleagues in person. From time to time, I can also be found in the traditional lab. However, my work as a technical expert also means that I spend a lot of time travelling to represent TÜVIT at various trade fairs and events.

Whenever possible, I also ride my e-scooter to the office in the morning because I simply enjoy it more.

My area is probably the one with the most overlaps. Firstly, because "security in space" is one of the up-and-coming topics, which should also be designed to be quantum-safe from the outset. This means that post-quantum cryptography (PQK) or quantum key distribution (QKD) should be used right now. On the other hand, satellite communication usually already runs via a laser free beam, i.e. QKD will develop into a good alternative there in particular.

On Earth, there are generally a few limitations to QKD that do not exist in space. For example, photons can only be sent over a certain distance before they have to be amplified. In space, on the other hand, this limitation does not exist, i.e. a distance of several thousand kilometres is possible there. Consequently, the entire topic is perfectly tailored to the new business unit and the topic of security in space. For this reason, I also spend a lot of time liaising with our colleagues at ALTER. For example, we are currently carrying out a project on risk minimisation for space scenarios, both for ground stations and satellites. There should also be a lot of potential here in terms of joint projects in the future.

The topics I work on are very future-orientated, which means that I can help shape what we can do in the future or even what the future might look like. I sit on many committees where we are really starting from scratch, i.e. the first standards, the first DIN standards that will apply in Germany, are being developed in these committees. And it's actually really cool to be able to help shape everything from the very beginning. I also get a lot of support for my topic from the management and the Executive Board personally. Of course, that motivates me even more.

In my view, that would be the major BMBF-funded research project that we are currently working on. The aim of the project is to set up a QKD laboratory in which we can carry out completely new tests on quantum devices. In this context, there is a consortium of various partners and universities who are building test devices, systems, sensors and detectors for us.

On the one hand, the topic itself is exciting, because in principle we are combining the fundamentals of physics, which are considered proven to be secure, with classic IT security. On the other hand, we have also invested a lot of money in the project ourselves. And that is also a form of appreciation. Furthermore, I would describe the work as "hands-on" because we really have our finger on the pulse of research here. If we eventually set up a dedicated QKD test lab that can map most attacks, we would be the first test lab of its kind in the world. Next year, we might be able to publish some research papers, which will be good publicity for TÜVIT.

I come from the IT industry, which means I also like to sit at my PC and play a game. I used to be very keen on football, but unfortunately I gave it up during my studies for various reasons. Now I still enjoy watching football or regularly going to play football or padel with work colleagues. We also have a lot of dogs in the family and I often go out with them.

Yes, definitely. If I have an appointment or want to do something privately, it's no problem. Thanks to the trust-based working hours, I can organise my work as it suits me best, i.e. it is always possible to work ahead or catch up. This is already very well organised at our company, so it's easy to reconcile everything.