Second Sight
Introduction
Before the onset of electronically sending mails through the Internet, we used to send mails through the Postal Service, which is now more appropriately called snail mail. The main problem with snail mail is that there is a great potential that it could be easily opened by other elements. Unlike snail mail, emails, the electronic mail sent through the Internet, do not have envelopes to seal them up. However, it uses security measures like password retrieval in protecting its contents. The same concept applies to the use of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) or debit cards. It uses highly encrypted messages to secure the account information of the cardholders. This solution is commonly called cryptography.
From the Greek word kryptos which means hidden and grafein which means to write, cryptography is a discipline of mathematics concerned with information security [1]. It works mainly around algorithms. However, observers said that “cryptography is about communication in the presence of adversaries” [2].
Crytography has been in influence for the past 2000 years and yet it has only been recently modernized as it branched out in computer science. Issues related such as access control, authentication and encryption are used for the main purpose of hiding messages.
Other than the prioritized purpose of confidentiality, cryptography is also used to provide: data integrity, entity authentication, data origin authentication, and non-reputation.
There are certain non-cryptographic techniques such as error-correcting codes that are used to protect cases of accidental or deliberate corruption of data. Yet these techniques are insufficient since they rely on public information. So for protection, a cryptographic keys are used. These keys are values known only to the sender and (possibly) the receiver. More on is discussed later on.
The public release of RSA, an algorithm that is used for both public key encryption and digital signatures [3], made Cryptography a widely used tool. It is currently used in computer networks, general computer security and communications. The problem with RSA relies heavily on the difficulty of factoring very large composite numbers into their primes. A computer that is said to do this gives great interest to large numbers of various organizations including the government for electronic and financial privacy. Here lies quantum computing.
Below is an elaborate discussion of quantum computers, with its advantages and limitations. But before that, a brief discussion of public and symmetric key cryptography.
Discussion of Public Key and Symmetric Key Cryptography
The main idea is to disguise confidential information so its meaning is unintelligible to an unauthorized person. The two most common uses are to store data securely in a computer file or to transmit it across an insecure channel like the Internet. Either way, the fact that the document is encrypted does not prevent unauthorized people gaining access to it but, rather, ensures that they cannot understand what they see.
The information to be concealed is called the Plaintext and Encryption is the operation of disguising it. The encrypted plaintext is called the ciphertext or cryptogram and the set of rules used to encrypt information plaintext is the encryption algorithm. Its operation depends on an encryption key, which is input to the algorithm together with the message. In order that the recipient can obtain the message from the cryptogram there has to be a decryption algorithm which, when used with the appropriate decryption key, reproduces the plaintext from the ciphertext.
Any person who intercepts a message during transmission is called, an interceptor. However, it must be recognized that, on occasions, the interceptors may be the ‘good guys’. Even if they know the decryption algorithm, interceptors do not know the decryption key. It is this lack of knowledge that prevents them from knowing the plaintext.
The fact that the knowledge of the encryption key is not necessary for obtaining the message from the cryptogram led to a natural division into two types of cipher systems: symmetric and asymmetric.
A conventional or symmetric key is a cipher system where the decryption key is easy to deduce from the encryption key. In practice, this system is often called secret key or one-key systems. However, the system is called
asymmetric or public key if it is practically impossible to deduce the decryption key from the encryption key.
Discussion of the Advantages of Quantum Computing in Cryptography
Quantum Computing is the key to a faster computing compared to the conventional ones. A quantum computer is based on the idea of a quantum bit or qubit [4]. Conventional computers, has a bit which represents either a zero state or a one state. A qubit on the other hand, can be in a linear superposition of the two states. Because of this, quantum parallelism allows many exponential computations to take place simultaneously, vastly increasing the speed of computation.
Moreover, because of the large quantities of numbers that quantum computers could accomplish in a short span of time, it is highly advisable for banks to use them considering the magnitude of transactions bank handle on a day-to-day basis.
Discussion of the Limitations of Quantum Computing in Cryptography
Today, RSA and some other Cryptography techniques are used in many types of data such as encrypted email and Web pages. Quantum computers’ ability to make large computations on a fast rate allows them to “break” cryptographic systems that are in use today. This ability would then be used against it. Thus, it will suffer serious consequences on invasion of privacy.
Besides, quantum computing is still in its infancy. There is still a long way to go. If institutions could invest in further in its research, then it would be good for us. Especially for industries like banking which relies hugely on privacy.
Conclusion
Actually, the development and open academic study and research of Quantum Computing in Cryptography is only recent compared to other aspects of math and science. There is still many to develop when it comes to Quantum Computers.
Currently, only very small quantum computers have been built, and so they are essentially a theoretical concept. However, if quantum computers become a reality, then the situation will change dramatically. Very substantial sums of money are currently being spent worldwide on supporting research are currently being spent worldwide on supporting research into
the probability of quantum computing. If suitably sophisticated quantum computers could be built, then they would make exhaustive research significantly faster and more secure for the benefit of everyone.
Like a credit card with smart card capabilities. These cards try to combine portability with the power to compute modern cryptographic algorithms. Actually, Cryptography is used in many applications that touch everyday life; the security of computer passwords, and electronic commerce all depend on cryptography.
Researchers are cautious about the likelihood of building quantum
computers. Nevertheless, there is some optimism in the field and the
possibility should not be ignored.
Quantum cryptography is currently more viable than quantum computing because the two are actually far different from each other.
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