Quantum Key Distribution for a Post-Quantum World

Quantum Key Distribution for a Post-Quantum World

The emergence of quantum computing and its ability to solve computations with incredible speed by harnessing the fundamental properties of quantum mechanics could revolutionize our world. But what does this quantum future mean for data security?

As quantum computing evolves from the test lab to the real world, this unprecedented new form of computing power has massive implications for current forms of encryption and public-key cryptography (PKC), such as Rivest–Shamir–Aleman (RSA) and elliptic curve cryptography (ECC). Against the processing capabilities of quantum computing, which can analyze vast sets of data orders of magnitude faster than current digital computers, these forms of encryption will essentially become vulnerable to bad actors.


In the coming post-quantum future, cryptography solutions built on the rules of quantum physics are essential to ensure that sensitive digital information is distributed safely and securely across the forthcoming quantum Internet. One of the pillars of this more secure quantum computing future is called quantum key distribution (QKD), which uses basic properties of physics to derive encryption keys for secure encryption between two locations simultaneously.


Tapping the Power of Photons


At the physical level, the data bits sent during key exchanges for today's common encryption techniques, such as RSA and ECC, are encoded using large pulses of photons or changes in voltages. With QKD, everything is encoded on a single photon, relying on quantum mechanical properties that allow detection and prevent successful eavesdropping. Quantum objects exist in a state of superposition where the value for a property of the object can be described as a se ..

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