The new quantum encryption technology can defeat "the most sophisticated" hackers

A research group led by Professor Luo haiguang from the University of Toronto, Canada, found that a new quantum encryption method may defeat the "most sophisticated" hackers. This discovery was published in the latest issue of physical comment Express.

In principle, quantum encryption is a foolproof way to prevent hackers. It ensures that the disturbance caused by any attempt by the eavesdropping to read encrypted communication will be detected by legal users. Therefore, in the case of a potential hacker, quantum encryption allows an absolutely secure key to be transmitted between two users. This key is transmitted using optical signals and received with a photon detector. However, hackers can also intercept and manipulate these signals.

Dr Charles bernett, a researcher at IBM and co-inventor of quantum cryptography, said the photon detector had proved to be the "Achilles' heel" of key distribution ", it inadvertently opened a door for the most famous quantum hacker behavior, the unpredictable "door-to-door" attack.

When quantum hacker behavior occurs, the optical signal "subverts" the photon detector so that they can only see the photon the hacker wants to see. In fact, Professor Luo's early research and independent research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Dr. oudemm Makarov, showed that a smart quantum hacker could crack the commercial key distribution system.

Now, Professor Luo and his team have come up with a simple solution to solve this "untrusted device" problem. Their approach, known as the "Key Distribution System unrelated to measurement devices", aims to detect the subtle changes that occur when quantum data is manipulated by a third party. Although hackers can operate photon detectors and broadcast measurement results, they no longer trust these measurement results. On the contrary, they only need to simply measure and compare their own data to verify the "integrity" of hackers ".

Specifically, in the measurement device-independent key distribution system, two users send their signals to one or the untrusted relay controlled by hackers ". The relay performs node measurement on the signal for comparison at another point.

Professor Luo said that a major feature of the relay detector is that it can have any defect without affecting security. Because, if the signal preparation process between users is correct, it can verify the reliability of the "relay" or hacker through the association in the data.

At present, Professor Luo and his team have completed the concept verification test and are expected to develop a prototype "Key Distribution System unrelated to the measurement device" within five years.