Insecure cryptography

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is an advanced tool – in principle – for secure computer-based interactions. In QKD, two parties create a secret key, which enables them to keep communications secure.

Now, however, researchers at NTNU, the University Centre at Kjeller and the National University of Singapore have discovered security holes in this form of cryptography. They made a perfect “eavesdropper” for QKD, which gave outsiders access to the secret key, without the system being notified that there was a security breach. The researchers thus warn against relying unconditionally on quantum key encryption security solutions.