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Quantum Cryptography Leaving the Lab
Theodore Logan writes "More than a year ago, MagiQ announced the world's first commercial quantum cryptography system (pdf), with ID Quantique following closely in their footsteps. Currently, the technology is limited to offering point-to-point connections up to a maximum distance of around 50 km, but this is likely to be greatly improved on in coming years. The systems available today are prohibitely expensive for the average Joe (MagiQ's are priced at more than $50,000 per unit), but one could envision a future in which they are built into the infrastructure by non-end user actors. Does this spell the end of the field of cryptography? Will systems like this ever become commonplace, or will they be reserved for sensitive financial transactions and military applications? What impact will quantum cryptography have on society? Good articles available from International Herald Tribune, EE Times and CNET."
Great, point to point security, but how do I encrypt all my pr0n with it?
"No matter what advances occur in digital computing, quantum encryption can never be deciphered, read or copied"
/dev/null
Linux already has an interface that you can move your critical documents to and they'll never be deciphered, read or copied:
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
Will systems like this ever become commonplace, or will they be reserved for sensitive financial transactions and military applications?
Quantum crypto will be very useful for insensitive financial/military applications. Example:
"All right, you worthless son-of-a-bitch -- pay your goddamned taxes, or we blow you away!"
-kgj
-kgj
Dude, "quantum stuff" != "other quantum stuff".
Nice attempt to score an easy +5 insightful...
Freenet: Quantum Encryption Edition
I fear the Quantum DRM that'll follow.
Crypto is one of those feel-good technologies that costs people a lot of money but doesn't really do much for anyone in the end.
Okay then, why don't you send me your credit card number in plain text then? no need to encrypt it, it's just feel-good technology, and I'm really an honest guy...
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
What impact will quantum cryptography have on society?
It will be the end of us all! I will *never* purchase GMO-computers They will spread into neighboring villages and corporate monopolies such as Consanto will patent with royalties accumulated on a per atom basis.
Oh, the humanity!
Is a non-end user actor?
For some reason I have this vision of Gary Bussey making a drug deal...
heh - chitlenz
Imagination is the silver lining of Intelligence.
Unfortunately, as I see it, this means that he can DOS the connection.
:->
Er well to do anything at all with a quantum line you need access to the fiber, at which point Denial of Service is most easily performed with a large axe.
Yeah, what your other respondent said.
The definition of a man in the middle is that he can DOS your connection. There's no communication method that isn't vulnerable to disconnection. Even telepathy, as evidenced by Magneto's anti-Xavier helmet.
There are no trails. There are no trees out here.
> Unfortunately, as I see it, this means that he can DOS the connection.
:)
As you saw it, you DOS'ed it.
(Quantum wave funcion collapse induced by observation. Play on words. Hey.. give me a break.. its Monday).
Norman Cook's Ode to Sl
"Will systems like this ever become commonplace?"
I predict that quantium crypto computers will be so large as to fill an entire building, and only the 5 richest people in the world will be able to afford them
Quantum cryptography is uncrackable unless you can figgure out a way to get around Heisenberg.
Bah, how difficult it can be?...