The new quantum-proof version of TLS generates encryption keys using a different mathematical problem that’s believed to be beyond the practical reach of both conventional and quantum computers.
That system was tested by using it to encrypt data moving between two PCs, one taking the role of a Web browser and the other a Web server. The quantum-proof encryption protocol moved data 21 percent more slowly than a version using elliptic curve cryptography, as some websites do today, but the researchers consider that penalty a reasonable one to pay if their idea is polished up for real-world use.
Ari Juels, a professor at Cornell Tech and previously chief scientist at the security company RSA, says it makes sense to prepare our encryption for quantum computers now. Outdated encryption lingering in websites or software already causes security problems, even with the relatively slow progress made on encryption-beating attacks, he says.
However, right now it’s not certain that the math used in Microsoft’s quantum-proof software will always be intractable for either quantum or conventional computers, says Juels. Mathematicians and cryptographers haven’t studied them as intensely as they have RSA or the encryption used today. “We’ve no solid assurance,” he says.
link.
No comments:
Post a Comment