arXiv:1305.3886 · Scientific Reports

Physical key-protected one-time pad

Roarke W. Horstmeyer, Benjamin Judkewitz, Ivo M. Vellekoop, Sid Assawaworrarit, Changhuei Yang

Published Dec 18, 2013• 116 citations

Abstract

We describe an encrypted communication principle that forms a secure link between two parties without electronically saving either of their keys. Instead, random cryptographic bits are kept safe within the unique mesoscopic randomness of two volumetric scattering materials. We demonstrate how a shared set of patterned optical probes can generate 10 gigabits of statistically verified randomness between a pair of unique 2 mm(3) scattering objects. This shared randomness is used to facilitate information-theoretically secure communication following a modified one-time pad protocol. Benefits of volumetric physical storage over electronic memory include the inability to probe, duplicate or selectively reset any bits without fundamentally altering the entire key space. Our ability to securely couple the randomness contained within two unique physical objects can extend to strengthen hardware required by a variety of cryptographic protocols, which is currently a critically weak link in the security pipeline of our increasingly mobile communication culture.

DOI: 10.1038/srep03543

Related papers

Secure Storage of Cryptographic Keys within Random Volumetric Materials

Roarke W. Horstmeyer, Benjamin Judkewitz, Ivo M. Vellekoop +1 more

We present a device to optically access gigabits of random keys stored within an object’s microscopic randomness. We demonstrate how this device may allow two parties to securely communicate without digitally saving any sensitive information.

Jan 1, 20132 citations

Fast and secure key distribution using mesoscopic coherent states of light

Geraldo A. Barbosa

This work shows how two parties A and B can securely share unlimited sequences of random bits at optical speeds. A and B possess true-random physical sources and exchange random bits by using a random sequence received to cipher the following one to be sent. A starting shared secret key is used and the method can be described as a one-time-pad unlimited extender. It is demonstrated that the minimum probability of error in signal determination by the eavesdropper can be set arbitrarily close to the pure guessing level. Being based on the M-ry encryption protocol this method also allows for optical amplification without security degradation, offering practical advantages over the Bennett-Brassard 1984 protocol for key distribution.

arXiv:quant-ph/0212033Physical Review ANov 4, 200323 citations

Fundamentals for immediate implementation of a quantum secured Internet

Geraldo A. Barbosa

This work shows how a secure Internet for users A and B can be implemented through a fast key distribution system that uses physical noise to encrypt information transmitted in deterministic form. Starting from a shared secret random sequence between them, long sequences of fresh random bits can be shared in a secure way and not involving a third party. The shared decrypted random bits -encrypted by noise at the source- are subsequently utilized for one-time-pad data encryption. The physical generated protection is not susceptible to advances in computation or mathematics. In particular, it does not depend on the difficulty of factoring numbers in primes. Also, there is no use of Linear Feed Back Shift Registers. The attacker has free access to the communication channels and may acquire arbitrary number of copies of the transmitted signal without lowering the security level. No intrusion detection method is needed.

arXiv:quant-ph/0607093Jul 14, 20060 citations

Enhanced Usage of Keys Obtained by Physical, Unconditionally Secure Distributions

Laszlo B. Kish, Claes-Göran Granqvist

Unconditionally secure physical key distribution schemes are very slow, and it is practically impossible to use a one-time-pad based cipher to guarantee unconditional security for the encryption of data because using the key bits more than once gives out statistical information, for example via the known-plain-text-attack or by utilizing known components of the protocol and language statistics. Here, we outline a protocol that reduces this speed problem and allows almost-one-time-pad based communication with an unconditionally secure physical key of finite length. The physical, unconditionally secure key is not used for data encryption but is employed in order to generate and share a new software-based key without any known-plain-text component. The software-only-based key distribution is then changed from computationally secure to unconditionally secure, because the communicated key-exchange data (algorithm parameters, one-way functions of random numbers, etc.) are encrypted in an unconditionally secure way with a one-time-pad. For practical applications, this combined physical/software key distribution based communication looks favorable compared to the software-only and physical-only key distribution based communication whenever the speed of the physical key distribution is much lower than that of the software-based key distribution. A mathematical security proof of this new scheme remains an open problem.

arXiv:1408.5800Fluctuation and Noise LettersMay 4, 201524 citations

Self-Renewing One-Time Pad: Information-Theoretic Messaging Beyond Initial Pad Exhaustion

AriaLabs Systems LLC

The classical limitation of one-time-pad (OTP) cryptography is the key-distribution problem: to send n bits of plaintext, the parties must already share n bits of pre-distributed key. Once the pad is exhausted, the parties must meet again to exchange new pad material. This is widely viewed as making pure OTP impractical for sustained communication. We present a protocol that resolves this limitation: once an initial pad of size N is shared in person, subsequent pad material is generated by one party from a true-random source and transmitted as encrypted payload over the existing OTP channel itself. The receiver decrypts using existing pad and appends the recovered random bytes to its local pad. Net pad balance after a refill operation is unchanged — bytes of old pad are spent to deliver an equal number of bytes of new pad — but the new material is fresh, secret, and uncompromised. We prove inductively that information-theoretic security of the new pad is preserved across arbitrary refill chains. The result is a protocol with all the security guarantees of classical OTP and none of its practical key-distribution limitation, given a single in-person bootstrap.

May 5, 20265 citations

One-Time Pad Incoherent Encryption with Optical Meta-Ciphertext and Dynamic Visual Keys

Zhenfei Li, Shuo Du, Xianfeng Wu +8 more

In today’s ever-evolving information security landscape, the demand for robust encryption techniques is on the rise. Superior to traditional encryption schemes, one-time pad encryption provides unparalleled security due to its reliance on a unique, nonreusable key for each message. Here, a novel one-time pad incoherent encryption paradigm based on optical metasurface ciphertext and dynamic visual keys has been developed. The proposed encryption scheme exploits the inherent security of the one-time pad by ensuring information confidentiality through the use of a random and nonreusable key. Based on this foundation, optical metasurfaces are initially used to encode the ciphertext and visual key, introducing an additional layer of complexity and security. In addition, the system incorporates dynamic visual keys using a spatial light modulator, adding dynamic and visually intuitive dimensions to the encryption process. These dynamic keys enhance the security of the communication channel by introducing variability into the encryption parameters, making it extremely difficult for unauthorized parties to predict or analyze cryptographic patterns. The result is a highly secure and robust incoherent encryption system that can be found to have potential applications in secure communication and data protection domains.

ACS PhotonicsSep 26, 20243 citations