NEWS Quantum cryptography – using a private communication channel to lock down the exchange of sensitive data between two points – has to date created much more discussion than it has practical applications.
However, with scientists, researchers and academics already on the case, it could be just five years until the technology hits the mainstream.
Martin Illsley, director of Accenture Research Labs, said that the rate of increase in computing power means that existing methods of cryptography are getting ever easier to crack, given more computing power means hackers can put more and more processing muscle into unlocking the random combinations that keep data transfer secure: "As computing increases in power, people are increasingly able to do that," he said.
Quantum cryptography is already in use in a minority of organisations, but can only be used over short distances – typically 100 to 150km – because the photons that are used in the process to represent binary information will degrade if they travel further over cable.
If the quantum cryptography is used wirelessly, the distances can be drastically reduced again.
However, to carry quantum-encrypted material over longer distances – across continents, for example – quantum repeaters are necessary to prevent the degradation of the photons.
These, Illsley predicts, are on their way within the next five years, meaning that quantum cryptography could be in use in UK businesses by the end of the decade.
While the technology is still very much on the cutting edge, should the technology become popular it will secure the future of biometrics, as both the sending and receiving party must authenticate their identity to keep the data transmission channel secure.
Illsley said: "It does, in essence, assume someone is who they say they are... [Quantum cryptography] still needs biometric proof."
Comments
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1. bernard manson
see http://www.ablon.co.uk/newsletter4.pdf for a counter view
2. anonymous
It is, of course, needless to say that these proposed biometric checks would need some sort of back-up security for extreme situation's, ie. a secondary PIN code which would trigger an alarm during a hostage situation or even life sign detection incase a severed finger or even a latex fingerprint forgery was used! Even a retina scanner would require similar checks (too gruesome i know but anything's possible!)
3. Tim Jackson
The quantum links themselves may be secure, but how secure are the repeaters? Doesn't it defeat the object of quantum cryptography if Bob doesn't get the same photon that Alice sent? Who's to know that a hostile hasn't interted a fake repeater in the line?
4. anonymous
Please stop giving articles titles like this. You're pretty muching toeing the line at making this entire article a FUD piece.
First off, quantum cryptography is not a holy grail. There are no holy grails in security, period. It's always an arms race. Any belief to the contrary, and you're not only fooling yourself, you're putting those assets you protect in danger.
Secondly, quantum cryptography, while innovate, and definitely useful, is not a swiss army knife. It cannot replace a PKI, it cannot be used to encrypt stored files, etc. so many articles out there compare quantum cryptography to things like Blowfish and RSA, and start talking about key sizes and what not. All of this is pointless: you cannot compare apples and oranges.
Seriously, stop this holy grail B.S. No single technology is going to stop every single possible attack.