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Scientific American on Quantum Encryption

Posted by samzenpus on from the just-try-and-break-it dept.

prostoalex writes "Scientific American claims that advances in commercially available quantum encryption might obsolete the existing factorization-based solutions: "The National Security Agency or one of the Federal Reserve banks can now buy a quantum-cryptographic system from two small companies - and more products are on the way. This new method of encryption represents the first major commercial implementation for what has become known as quantum information science, which blends quantum mechanics and information theory. The ultimate technology to emerge from the field may be a quantum computer so powerful that the only way to protect against its prodigious code-breaking capability may be to deploy quantum-cryptographic techniques.""

7 of 374 comments (clear)

  1. Unbreakable Encryption... by Jace+of+Fuse! · · Score: 5, Funny

    Someone needs to write a Encryption routine that uses the source text as the key. THAT will really show 'em!

    --

    "Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"

    Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
    1. Re:Unbreakable Encryption... by Paul+Crowley · · Score: 5, Funny

      Already done - XORing the source text with itself is a provably perfectly secure form of encryption!

      --
      Xenu loves you!
    2. Re:Unbreakable Encryption... by mikael · · Score: 5, Funny

      Already done - XORing the source text with itself is a provably perfectly secure form of encryption!

      But you still need to apply for an export licence if you use a encryption key greater than 128 bits in size.

      --
      Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
  2. n.b does not hurt cats unless you observe them by Engineer+Andy · · Score: 5, Funny

    As far as I can tell, no cats were harmed in the making of these quantum cryptographic devices, although if you look inside the box, the act of looking at the cat inside may (or may not) kill it

    --
    "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the World" 1 John 4:14
  3. Re:Uhh... by monkease · · Score: 4, Funny

    Quantum computing doesn't make threats.

    It makes promises.

    I'm not just gunna break yo' face, i'm going to quantum break yo' face, foo'!

  4. Re:Uhh... by gl4ss · · Score: 4, Funny

    *I'm not just gunna break yo' face, i'm going to quantum break yo' face, foo'!*

    so you gonna break his face and slam a cardboard box over his head? "no officer, his face is not smashed. however, if you take the box off it might cause it to be smashed or not"

    --
    world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  5. The big question.... by yo303 · · Score: 3, Funny
    The sender, Alice, sends a string of bits, choosing randomly to send photons in either the rectilinear or the diagonal modes. The receiver, Bob , makes a similarly random decision about which mode to measure the incoming bits. If Eve tries to intercept this stream of photons she cannot measure both modes, thanks to Heisenberg.

    So the big question is: Why does Alice have so many secrets? Why does she feel compelled to tell Bob everything? And what is up with Eve, always budding in?

    Personally I think there's something going on between Eve and Bob, that they're not telling us. But damned if I can't break their code.

    yo.