Quantum Cryptography in Secure Software

Technology in the past few years has advanced and the common populace cannot even imagine the technology used at secure facilities and research centers worldwide. 

Quantum cryptography also belongs in that category, people couldn’t fathom using quantum mechanics for over a decade. This MarsDevs post will leverage the use of quantum cryptography to secure software. So, let’s get started!

What is Quantum Cryptography?

First, let’s understand what cryptography is! Cryptography varies from regular encryption as only someone with the right “key” can decrypt and view this data.

Quantum Cryptography is different from regular cryptography as it uses the natural properties of particles in quantum mechanics to encrypt or secure data and transmit it in a form that can’t be hacked. Quantum cryptography relies on physics, more specifically, the principles of quantum mechanics to achieve this security.

A system with quantum cryptography will be entirely secure and cannot be hacked without the sender or receiver’s knowledge. As the data is encoded in a quantum state, the data can’t be copied or viewed without alerting the sender or receiver.

How does Quantum Cryptography reach this level of security?

The factors behind quantum mechanics and quantum particles:

• Quantum particles do not have certainty to them & can exist in more than one place or more than one state of being.
• A quantum particle cannot be measured or viewed without changing or disturbing it.
• Entire particles can’t be copied. Only partial copies can be made of quantum particles.

Why is Quantum Cryptography secure?

These properties of quantum particles can make it impossible to view or hack a system without disturbing the system and alerting it. To implement these properties, quantum cryptography transmits data through individual photon particles over fiber optic wire, where each photon represents a binary bit. 

Why photons? Because photons have all the required qualities. They are also understood well and carry information in fiber optic cables. Attempts to hack or intercept the photons during transmission would disturb the state of the particles, disturbing the system. 

This disturbance would be detected by the sender & the receiver can inform them of anyone looking to hack this system. Add to this the fact that it is not possible to create an exact copy of a particle, it would make this system impossible to hack. 

Let’s follow a model from 1984 to understand the process! 

• In the model, it assumes that there are two people,
• Alice and Bob where Alice wants to send information privately to Bob.
• She first sends a key through a polarizer, a string of photon particles to Bob.
• Bob then selects a subset of photons at random and measures their polarization.
• Bob sends the result of his reading over to Alice through regular communication.
• Alice compares the information and informs Bob of the polarizer she used.
• Bob confirms the information.

Let’s assume that there is another person named Eve who wants to intercept these messages. She even has the same tools as Bob but fails to intercept the information as she does not have information on the correct polarizer used and ends up with the wrong key.

Because of the inherent nature of quantum particles, Alice and Bob would come to know that someone else is trying to intercept their messages.

Some Applications of Quantum Cryptography

With the potential to revolutionize communications, here are some ways that quantum cryptography can be used:

• Quantum Cryptography can offer secure communications routes for financial transactions. This can prevent cyber criminals from intercepting and stealing critical financial information.
• Military and Government Agency Communications can be secured to remove the danger of interceptions using quantum cryptography.
• Health Care data including patient records and medical research can be secured using quantum cryptography.
• The IoT device-based communication channels can be secured using quantum cryptography & are vulnerable to cyber-attacks due to their low computing power.

What are the perks of Quantum Cryptography?

Quantum cryptography provides total security as it is impossible for a third party to intercept or copy data without being detected. It can secure key distribution as it’s vital in many encryption algorithms.

Quantum Cryptography also offers secure communications at incredibly high speeds, an important factor for real-time data transfers in applications. Long-term security is another perk offered by quantum cryptography as it is resistant to attacks by quantum computers in the future where quantum data encryption will stay secure.

It also can detect any attempt at the interception or tampering of data, quantum cryptography also offers a way to verify the security of the communication. Several quantum cryptography protocols are implemented with multiple ways to improve security. Some, like Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), can be used with traditional encryption methods to improve security.

Drawbacks of Quantum Cryptography

Just as something has benefits, it also has a few drawbacks.

• Quantum cryptography is quite expensive & needs a separate infrastructure using fiber optics and repeaters.
• Quantum cryptography is restricted by the necessity for a trusted third party to distribute cryptographic keys, which can be a flaw in the system.
• Quantum cryptography has a limited range, with the typical maximum range around 400-500 km.
• There can be changes in the polarization of particles and increased error rates due to photons having a chance of photons changing their polarization mid-transit.

What is the future of Quantum Cryptography?

Quantum computers are new and in their early stages. There needs to be a lot of development done for it to start being implemented for wider audiences. But even with the limitations, the field is growing strong.

A Swiss company called Terra Quantum has revealed a breakthrough in quantum cryptography. They can extend the range of quantum key transmissions over 40,000 km without building a new optical line filled with repeaters.

What is the future of quantum cryptography? It can be bright with all the potential for growth and advancement. Are you looking to implement quantum cryptography to secure your software devices? Look no further, MarsDevs can help you. Grab a free 15-minute call today!