Beyond the Hype: What Quantum Cryptography REALLY Is (and Isn’t)
1 min read
Summary
In the rush to ensure secure systems, Quantum Cryptography has been hailed as a wonder solution, but its very complexity leaves it open to misunderstanding, particularly among confused associations with Quantum-Resistant Cryptography.
Quantum Cryptography is actually a reference to Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), a method of exchanging cryptographic keys using principles of quantum mechanics to transmit mathematically unpredictable information, hence posing an unprecedented level of security.
QKD harnesses phenomena including superposition, entanglement and the no-cloning theorem to achieve the seemingly paradoxical feat of simultaneously producing infinitely unpredictable, yet identical cryptographic keys in pairings of remote quantum nodes, allowing for mM-scale secret key swapping.
While not a proof against further advances in quantum computing, QKD presents an exciting avenue for the immediate future for ultra-secure communications, particularly for governance and finance organisations, due to its resistance to classic brute-force attacks.
However, practical hurdles including fibre-optic limitations, quantum satellite communication costs, as well as societal concerns surrounding widespread quantum education, bothersome measurement implications and ecological disadvantages, mean a bastion of total, unbreakable security remains frustratingly out of reach.