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Commercial Quantum Cryptography System Hacked
KentuckyFC writes "Any proof that quantum cryptography is perfect relies on idealized assumptions that don't always hold true in the real world. One such assumption is related to the types of errors that creep into quantum messages. Alice and Bob always keep a careful eye on the level of errors in their messages because they know that Eve will introduce errors if she intercepts and reads any of the quantum bits in a message. So a high error rate is a sign that the message is being overheard. But it is impossible to get rid of errors entirely, so Alice and Bob have to tolerate a small level of error. This level is well known. Various proofs show that if the quantum bit error rate is less than 20 percent, then the message is secure. However, these proofs assume that the errors are the result of noise from the environment. Now, physicists have come up with an attack based on the realization that Alice also introduces errors when she prepares the required quantum states to send to Bob. This extra noise allows Eve to intercept some of the quantum bits, read them and then send them on, in a way that raises the error rate to only 19.7 percent. In this kind of 'intercept and resend attack,' the error rate stays below the 20 percent threshold and Alice and Bob are none the wiser, happily exchanging keys while Eve listens in unchallenged. The physicists say they have successfully used their hack on a commercial quantum cryptography system from the Geneva-based startup ID Quantique."
...to e-mail Alice and Bob, rather than advertise that their love-letters are being snooped on?
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
They could develop more sophisticated measurement techniques, similar to those utilized in modern data/telecom, as error thresholds become lower.
They could call it the Quantum Bit Error Rate Test, or Q-BERT for short.
Really, is a little fidelity in this relationship too much to ask for? I've caught Bob kissing that skank Alice so many fucking times and he always says he's sorry and he'll stop seeing her, but still I can tell they're exchanging information through hidden channels.
But what I really hate is when people act like I'm so unreasonable by trying to find out what is going on and who my allegedly significant other is seeing behind my back. What the fuck.
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Cryptographically Signed,
Eve.
(Inspired by xkcd, of course.)
Eve is a fucking spy, arrest her.
I'm not too sure about Alice and Bob either, seems they're always around when these things happen.
A 20% error rate isn't good enough to launch a missile, but it's better than a weatherman's accuracy. This tells us that Alice, Bob and Eve don't work for NORAD or the National Weather Service. That narrows down the field considerably. It won't be long before their identities are discovered, posted on TMZ and they won't need these silly quantum encrypted messages anymore.
Errors are inevitable. It's a little something called the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. Have you heard of it? No?
I guess the correct answer is maybe. But only possibly so.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
I say Bob should dump Alice and go with Eve. Bad girls are hot.
Though dumped good girls can be trouble as well, so the original problem remains.
Sadly, as long as Eve (or Alice) are sufficiently determined to intercept Bob's communications, he's got problems. The only answer may be to become a celibate monk in a monastery committedly observing a vow of silence.
Loose lips lose spit.
It's obvious then we need to get rid of the weakest link.