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China Plans To Launch the World's First 'Unhackable' Quantum Communication Network (phys.org)
An anonymous reader quotes Phys.org:
China is about to launch the Jinan Project, the world's first unhackable computer network, and a major milestone in the development of quantum technology... the network is planned to be fully operational by the end of August 2017... By launching the network, China will become the first country worldwide to implement quantum technology for a real life, commercial end. It also highlights that China is a key global player in the rush to develop technologies based on quantum principles, with the EU and the United States also vying for world leadership in the field.
The network, known as a quantum key distribution (QKD) network, is more secure than widely used electronic communication equivalents. Unlike a conventional telephone or internet cable, which can be tapped without the sender or recipient being aware, a QKD network alerts both users to any tampering with the system as soon as it occurs. This is because tampering immediately alters the information being relayed, with the disturbance being instantly recognisable. Once fully implemented, it will make it almost impossible for other governments to listen in on Chinese communications... It will be the world's longest land-based quantum communications network, stretching over 2,000 km.
The network, known as a quantum key distribution (QKD) network, is more secure than widely used electronic communication equivalents. Unlike a conventional telephone or internet cable, which can be tapped without the sender or recipient being aware, a QKD network alerts both users to any tampering with the system as soon as it occurs. This is because tampering immediately alters the information being relayed, with the disturbance being instantly recognisable. Once fully implemented, it will make it almost impossible for other governments to listen in on Chinese communications... It will be the world's longest land-based quantum communications network, stretching over 2,000 km.
that the Chinese government finally appreciates the benefit of communication free of surveillance.
From a government who wants total control over all communication.
but the name is fairly revealing. And as typical, the media over states its capability.
quantum key distribution (QKD) - Strongly implies that the network will be used for distributing cryptographic keys. Which makes sense since the bandwidth is likely to rather limited. And that means that the actual messages using those keys are subject to possible decryption. But still a very impressive accomplishment.
disturbances
Unhackable? Sounds like they're issuing a challenge. Usually when statements like this are made, they usually result in the supposedly unhackable system being hacked pretty quickly. I predict this will be hacked quickly as well.
If the data is being written via a "network" stack, it's vulnerable to root kits on either end of the communications. It's also useless against the "Great Firewall of China", which forces access to through Chinese government owned or controlled proxies to control or monitor specific content at whim.
Just in case you want to say "hello" and "goodbye" at the exact same time.
The bitrate for quantum encryption is too slow to actually use it to encrypt the data you're transmitting. Instead, you use it to encrypt a key which you transmit to the recipient. The data is then encrypted via standard cryptography using that key - basically a one-time pad. That's why it's called Quantum Key Distribution. SSH and I believe OpenVPN do the same thing.
So someone evesdropping in on the key distribution would be detected. But there's nothing to stop someone from capturing the encrypted data stream, then getting a copy of the distributed key after the QKD happens (e.g. if the recipient computer has been altered to transmit the key back to the attacker). At that point they can use the key to decrypt the data stream after the fact. In other words, the key distribution is secure, but protecting that key after it's been distributed still has the same vulnerabilities.
...why diffie-hellman isn't good enough?
CLI paste? paste.pr0.tips!
that's not really how QKD works. There is no seperat "alert system". Instead, by listening in the signal between end points is unavoidably altered so the end points trivially detect that a third party was eavesdropping during the key agreement protocol. That way they know not to use whatever key was produced in that QKD session. The laws of quantum mechanics guarantee that eaves dropping always causes the signal to be changed. (E.g. as far as I underatand any violation of that would contradict the no-cloning principle.)
QKD is a heck of a lot more practical than any of the research prpgrams you mentioned... given the ever growing improtance of (and failures in) imfo sec. I was say developing better tools for that field is a pretty worthy goal.
Still not quite right.
If someone tries to tap in, it destroys the information. So the endpoints don't actually know someone tried to tap it, they just know the data is suddenly garbage and have to find the error source in order to fix it.
Why do I have the feeling that this is a two edged sword? Unhackable, but why? If communication is tapped then they know immediately, but will they know who? Would all non-government approved quantum communication become illegal? Will VPN and and proxies still work? Proprietary private communication networks the government itself now holds the only key to? Good luck using Tor with this.
It is great that humans are able to accomplish this, but to me it is worrying that China will use it against the US rather than progressing mankind. Politics and countries not getting along hinder human advancement and overall scientific progress.