Quantum Security

Triode writes "In this months issue of Physics Today there is a very interesting read entitled 'From Quantum Cheating to Quantum Security' which delves into encryption. Talks about ads and disads of popular encryption (keys, public keys, DES etc), the size of current encryption and why it is not (theoretically) good. Quantum computers could make breaking our current methods of encryptoin easy, so we need to start now with methods of encrytption that would not be so easy. A pretty basic example of a implementation of the B92 protocol is given using a single photon source over a 48km optical fiber. Worth a read. Check it out at the AIP website."

This is the best walk-through of quantum encryption I've seen, and one of the few that points out the flaws and unknowns which could plague a completed system in the real world. And depressingly enough, there is a note on the Physics Today main page which reads: "All editorial content from the magazine is available on the Web. In the near future, restrictions will apply." As a selfish site junkie, I hope this only means NYT-style registration, not WSJ-type subscribers-only service.

Comments

Great education opportunity....

[Amnesiak]

...would be to double major in something like EE or CSE and quantum fizzicks. Has anyone ever done this? Were you successful in getting a job that related to both fields? I know that the two departments at my school (Univ. of Washington) would basically not cooperate to let me do this. Maybe this cryptography application would be better suited to a math major - that might be easier to combine with a physics degree.

What a huge wast of effort

[91degrees]

It seems that half of the world is trying to develop new methods of encryption, wheras the other half is busily trying to break them.

Wouldn't it save everyone a whole lot of effort if everyone sent everything in clear?

quantum security and the new elite

[lonesome phreak]

This reminds me of a conversation I had awhile back with a fellow geek. He thought that new quantum computers would make an entirely new class of 'haves' and 'have nots', based on the ability to encrypt your information

In a nutshell, once these computers are actually in production, the government will be the first to have them. No current X86 (or such) system will be able to make an unbreakable cypher anymore. No countries, no indivduals, or such. The only people able to make such will be those with these quantum computers, which will most likely be regulated.

The entire idea behind 'privacy through encyrption' will be a thing of the past. True, most crackers won't have access to this equipment. But the NSA, CIA, etc will, and they will be albe to crack any encryption you can throw at it.

I have a solution

[ScottMaxwell]

Quantum computers could make breaking our current methods of encryptoin easy, so we need to start now with methods of encrytption that would not be so easy.

We could start by misspelling everything, thus making our communications harder to understand. Slashdot has employed this encryption method for years.

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