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Australian Gov't May Employ a Homegrown Quantum Key System
mask.of.sanity writes "The Australian government is trialling a new Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system built by Aussie scientists.
QKD is considered the world's toughest security because the slightest attempt to intercept the one time keys, coded into lasers at the quantum level, will disrupt the beam. The technology differs from current cryptography tech primarily because it's cheap. Well, less than the $US100k price tag of rival systems. It uses off-the-shelf networking gear instead of proprietary technology, and is built on open standards, so it's easier to install. The random key is encoded at the quantum level in the sidebeam in the phase and amplitude, or brightness and colour, of a highly tuned laser beam. The creators, who built the system in part for their Ph.Ds, said it can be used to transport the most sensitive data like critical infrastructure and secret commercial IP. The days of hand-delivered security keys are numbered."
So... you could say the Aussie scientists have taken a Quantum Leap in cryptography for the AU?
*rimshot*
Thank you, I'll be here all night! Remember to tip your waitress!
Official Heretic from the "Church of Global Warming". Proven right thanks to whistle blowers. AGW = Flat Earth Theory
...can I encrypt messages with freakin' laser beams attached to the freakin' heads of the freakin' sharks? >
...but we can't tell you exactly how long you'll have to wait.
QKD is considered the world's toughest security because the slightest attempt to intercept the one time keys, coded into lasers at the quantum level, will disrupt the beam.
What if you cross the beams?
or FOUR xor FOUR
highly tuned?
It could be broken with an inverted tachyon beam through a phased modulator.
In general I think that although standard key exchange methods are theoretically less secure than quantum key exchanges, at least the standard key exchange methods are a) well understood, b) tested and c) commercially supported.
Putting highly secret documents in the hands of a technology made by college students working on PHD thesis seems to be a premature use of this technology.
It's not the technology itself, but the implementation of the technology that I'd worry about. And cost doesn't seem to be a good reason to take a gamble.
... "your key has been intercepted, press OK to continue" popup, because you KNOW those public servants will just click OK and continue.
If you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine....
So... are the scientists that frustrated with the Aussie internet filter that they're employing a quantum key encryption system just so they can get their porn?
greed@All_Evils:~#
"That's not encryption. THIS, now THIS is encryption."
Please help metamoderate.
Worse than that. The quantum stuff is really cool, and all kinds of useful for making sure a given bit of fiber isn't being eavesdropped on; but it is only link-level security. You have to have a run of fiber directly between hither and yon for communications to be secure. With ordinary crypto, you can use public internet or untrusted network segments controlled by others, or bailing wire or whatever. That is the ultimate limitation.
...to store entangled photons in a Bose-Einstein Condensate confined inside an empty Fosters can.
Now the Australian government can finally protect their communications from the myriad foreign governments trying to spy on their communications!
Oh, wait...
It travels over fiber, and "the slightest attempt to intercept the one time keys, coded into lasers at the quantum level, will disrupt the beam".
How do you route it to its destination? Do you need a dedicated fiber line between the source and destination for this service to work?
Otherwise, why can't someone just, y'know, intercept it completely and then generate the same key again?
The summary says the information is encoded in the frequency and amplitude of the light. Quantum systems encode information in the spin of photons...
So is it just me, or is this not really a quantum system at all?
Like Australia even HAS a quantum handgun. Er...wait.
THL phish sticks
From the original Strine?
> The random key is encoded at the quantum level in the sidebeam in the phase and
> amplitude, or brightness and colour, of a highly tuned laser beam.
Or is it just the gobbledegook it looks like?
Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
"The days of hand-delivered security keys are numbered"
Yeah, sure. Quantum key distribution DOES NOT protect against man-in-the-middle attack. So you'll still need to know that the channel is physically secure before transmitting quantum key.
They will encrypt their thesis with it. If ever decrypted, their doctorates will be revoked!
And it's powered by an endless supply of rabbits in sealed boxes.
Exactly. Is public key crypto broken enough to need to spend any money to switch over to QKD?
For that matter is public key crypto over the internet broken?
From the QKD guy in the article:
"Conventional cryptography is exposed to threats from advances in computing power that provide for brute force attacks,"
As long as you stay up to speed (ie. keeping your key sizes up to standards), I don't see how this is an issue...
why though?
signature is pants
I am at a loss to understand why the Australian Government would want this standard of security. This requires a dedicated fibre so it only works over a short range and over a land line. The bulk of security issues would be with international communications (say diplomatic stuff), wireless communications (police, military etc) and office networks (the federal public service).
But quantum won't help you in any of those cases. Oh well. I doubt I will hear if it is ever actually used.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
for the love of god stop calling us aussies
do you call yourselves yanks? no?
fucking cut it out.
Exactly. Is public key crypto broken enough to need to spend any money to switch over to QKD? For that matter is public key crypto over the internet broken?
Yes. Think secret plans that can't get out, even in 20 years time.
Can you guarantee quantum computers won't be around in 20 years time?
However great this system may/will be, there is no doubt that it's weakness will be the human factor on either end.
yeah. the human eye doesn't perceive phase: the wavelength or frequency is color, but good luck finding a macro-world equivalent to phase.
Sorry but you have $100k and you want to increase your security by wasting it on one highly secure pipe?
That is pretty sad. That money could be better allocated to toughen up systems or to employ spot checks on supposedly tough targets.
The truth is that almost no security breaches are conducted by cutting lines and intercepting the traffic (with the exception of satellite communications *cough* NSA *cough*).
Ultimately humans are the weakest part of the system, followed by the destination's security, and then last I'd say the transit between A->B.
Will always be vulnerable to a gun to your head and the question "What does it say?"
Try not to forget the human side of the equation when you're quoting statistics and mathematics.
#fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
I do not get the advantages of this system over the one-time pad.
Is there anything this quantum key system could do that a courier carrying a terrabyte drive with a one-time pad once in a while could not?
The quantum key may not be interceptable in theory, but you still have to trust the sending and receiving equipment not to leak anything.
Auditing equipment advanced enough for quantum encryption sounds quite a bit harder than auditing a sealed box with a harddrive and a chip doing XORs for a one-time-pad.
And people with the neccessary trust and clearance AND the skills in quantum physics should be harder to come by.
Plus the bandwith of the quantum channel is low, so they are only sending the keys, and send the encrypted data by normal channels. So you also have to trust the encryption algorithm, while an OTP is provably unbreakable.
He must think Australia is a US government department.
It pretty much is, but that's not the point.
For a site about things like basic rights, Slashdot users sure do like to censor "dissent".
Because if you're not buying expensive and unnecessary products from the US, then you are a terrorist.
Try not to take me more seriously than I take myself.
It could be a good compromise on the limitations of both. This could be used to transmit one-time pads in bursts and the pads could then be used over unsecured channels. As it stands, such pads have to be delivered or picked up by hand.
Now no-one will figure out which IP's are blocked HAHAHAHAHA! *evil*
-zifr
How do you know that your key is being transmitted by a quantum mechanism that can't be deciphered? You really don't know what's in the box. Important keys will continue to hand delivered by people who realize their own limitations.
Could be used to send non-interceptable signals intercepts between listening data centres.. No one wants anyone to know what they're interests are.
Whoever wrote that quoted paragraph should have taken that draft back their sources for proofing. "will disrupt the beam"..."in the sidebeam"..."phase and amplitude, or brightness and colour"
I don't expect tech journalists to know even basic quantum mechanics, but wow.
Professor Farnsworth: No fair! You changed the outcome by measuring it!
http://futurama.wikia.com/wiki/The_Luck_of_the_Fryrish
Homonyms are fun!
You're driving your car, but they're riding their bikes there.
so once yu detect these keys you effectively stop them
ya brilliant design
just keep interrupting the flow and routs and poof they are noobified
Now, if only they can put the lasers on some shark's head.
Quoting Crocdile Dundee is insightful/informative? *forehead slap*
I don't think I have ever had a joke go over mod's heads and it result in being modded UP...
Please help metamoderate.
You've implied that Australia is not an important nation, and now all the Aussie /.ers are going to mod you (Score: -1, Pretend He Never Posted)!
Isn't it so, that quantum cryptography prevents attacker from obtaining the message without being noticed, but does not stop attacker that does not care whether he is noticed?
They should use it to encrypt the Transit Sidney Timetable. That way, they can be certain it won't be pirated.
I guess Alice and Bob http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_and_Bob were replaced in the design document with Sheila and Bruce!
A picture is worth exactly 1024 words.
Could someone please explain the joke?
You have to have a run of fiber directly between hither and yon for communications to be secure.
One can use quantum teleportation to build quantum repeaters. Add an out of band signal for addressing, and it shouldn't be that hard to make a quantum encrypted network - direct connection not required. If men in the middle rearrange the addressing data, the only thing that happens is that the signal doesn't arrive at the correct destination; the adversaries still can't clone the particle, so they still can't break quantum crypto.
The technology differs from current cryptography tech primarily because it's cheap. Well, less than the $US100k price tag of rival systems.
Ah yes, that's so much cheaper than current cryptography. Take TrueCrypt for example, which is, er, completely free.
Did the summary perhaps mean to state that this system is cheaper than other current quantum cryptography tech?
You never had to check each and every codebook delivered to ensure someone had not created a 1/4" slice in the side seal so they could insert a camera. I'm sure they don't use paper booklets anymore, but I'll bet the new media is just as susceptible to undetected interception. In addition, old media is still extremely useful, since an opponent need only record encrypted communications and play it back later. The U.S. suffered colossal damage in the 80's due to John Walker doing just that. The ability to simply transmit a key to be used with standard encryption is a huge advance.
All it does is safely transports a key used in ordinary crypto algorithm. So you may use the same futuristic quantum computers to break those keys.
If you really fear of quantum computers you should up your key length.
"Quantum cryptography is back in the news, and the basic idea is still unbelievably cool, in theory, and nearly useless in real life."
Yes. Think secret plans that can't get out, even in 20 years time.
Can you guarantee quantum computers won't be around in 20 years time?
Not relevant. QKD is a key distribution system only. It has no implications for secure data storage. QKD is normally used (in theory) to transmit one-time pads, which are discarded immediately after the actual communication is received.
Storing something encrypted with a one-time pad is possible, of course. That would be equivalent to storing two copies (or n copies, with multiple pads) in such a way that you need to have both to get any information about the content other than an upper bound on its length. But QKD doesn't help you do that.
MediaWiki developer, Total War Center sysadmin
In what must be a first the Aussie government is a step ahead of what is needed. Basically Canberra (the Nations capital & home of more government than you can poke a stick at) has a wonderful fiber network called ICON which happens to consist of dark fiber that is physically patched between agencies. Now that doesn't mean the QKD is a famously good idea since we already have really well thought through key distribution techniques, but it's not the lack of the network that will stop it.
That's way easier than trying to intercept their keys.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
I think a more suitable name would be the CriKey.
Yes that's right it stops the keys being recorded.
I could record your encrypted traffic right now. In 20 years time when it may be feasible to decrypt that data i could take that recorded encrypted data and decrypt it.
So you need something right now that stops the data being recorded in the first place if you don't want that data possibly decoded in 20 years time.
Trial is a noun, you can't catting or trailing. They are testing or experimenting. Why invent a non-word when simple words of the CORRECT part of speech exist?
Utilizing the synergization of benchmark e-solutions to pre-workaround action items!
...because I would think that any rational government would ponder how nibby Bush, Cheney, & PNAC, LLP turned out to be and give serious consideration to crypto technology that had a fair chance of not having a pipe to a certain black building in Maryland built-in.
Orwell: "In a Time of Universal Deceit, telling the Truth is a Revolutionary Act"
Yes that's right it stops the keys being recorded.
I could record your encrypted traffic right now. In 20 years time when it may be feasible to decrypt that data i could take that recorded encrypted data and decrypt it.
So you need something right now that stops the data being recorded in the first place if you don't want that data possibly decoded in 20 years time.
I see your point. Of course, this is subject to the same problems as QKD generally: it only protects against eavesdroppers on channels where MITM already isn't possible for some reason. (Otherwise, I could agree on a key with Alice via QKD without letting her messages get to Bob, and agree on a totally different key with Bob posing as Alice.) I don't know of any practical example of a communications channel that's MITM-proof but not already eavesdropper-proof.
MediaWiki developer, Total War Center sysadmin