Data transmission has always been vulnerable to eavesdropping.Conventional cryptography has provided security in data communication, however it has some limitations when dealing with passive eavesdropping.Recently, the quantum mechanics has made a remarkable entry in the field of data communication.Now, it is possible to construct cryptographic communication systems which detect unauthorized eavesdropping and guarantee its prevention.Several protocols have been devised to implement such systems e.g., BB84, B92 and EPR.The famous BB84 protocol describes quantum encryption in terms of polarization states of a photon.The secret information is t ransmitted via secure quantum channel followed by a public conversation for verification and reconciliation.The B92 protocol is an extension of BB84 which shows how photons with non-orthogonal states can be used to distribute a secret key.The EPR protocol utilizes an entangled photon pair for encryption-one photon from this pair is transmitted towards the destination while keeping the other at the source; the destination photon describes the state of the source photon, failing to which confirms the intrusion.This paper presents a study of these protocols and a review on the recent developments in the field of secure quantum transmission.
Data transmission has always been vulnerable to eavesdropping.Conventional cryptography has provided security in data communication, however it has some limitations when dealing with passive eavesdropping.Recently, the quantum mechanics has made a remarkable entry in the field of data communication.Now, it is possible to construct cryptographic communication systems which detect unauthorized eavesdropping and guarantee its prevention.Several protocols have been devised to implement such systems e.g., BB84, B92 and EPR.The famous BB84 protocol describes quantum encryption in terms of polarization states of a photon.The secret information is t ransmitted via secure quantum channel followed by a public conversation for verification and reconciliation.The B92 protocol is an extension of BB84 which shows how photons with non-orthogonal states can be used to distribute a secret key.The EPR protocol utilizes an entangled photon pair for encryption-one photon from this pair is transmitted towards the destination while keeping the other at the source; the destination photon describes the state of the source photon, failing to which confirms the intrusion.This paper presents a study of these protocols and a review on the recent developments in the field of secure quantum transmission.
The recent application of the principles of quantum mechanics to cryptography has led to a remarkable new dimension in secret communication.Quantum Cryptography uses the principles of Quantum Mechanics to implement a cryptographic system.The key problem which is solved by using quantum techniques is that of eavesdropping detection.Conventional secret-key cryptography techniques require the communication of a secret key prior to message exchange.Quantum principles can be used to detect eavesdropping probabilistically when it occurs.The bits are represented as qubits, physically modeled by photons, and communicated over a quantum channel.The polarization states of photons represent 0's and 1's.As a result of these new developments, it is now possible to construct cryptographic communication systems which detect unauthorized eavesdropping should it occur, and which give a guarantee of no eavesdropping should it not occur.
Quantum Cryptography is a novel approach to make the information and network world more secure. Unlike classical cryptography, quantum cryptography ensures the security of communication because it is based on the laws of Quantum Mechanics; a branch of physics that deals with the fundamental behavior of matter and their energies to the levels of subatomic particles. These particles and their intrinsic properties such as photon polarization and entanglement allow us to develop an unbreakable system of cryptographic information. Conventionally, the security has been primarily concerned with the secured distribution of secret key carried over an insecure channel. However, in Quantum Cryptographic systems the transmission of secret key is done using aforementioned laws of nature through a secured quantum channel highly susceptible to intrusion detection. Consequently, the Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), in conjunction with protocols such as BB84 protocol has emerged as an ultimate modern secured communication system. This article concentrates on briefly reviewing quantum cryptography, some recent developments and reports of its vulnerabilities.
The recent application of the principles of quantum mechanics to cryptography has led to a remarkable new dimension in secret communication. As a result of these new developments, it is now possible to construct cryptographic communication systems which detect unauthorized eavesdropping should it occur, and which give a guarantee of no eavesdropping should it not occur. CONTENTS P3. Cryptographic systems before quantum cryptography P7. Preamble to quantum cryptography P10. The BB84 quantum cryptographic protocol without noise P16. The BB84 quantum cryptographic protocol with noise P19..The B92 quantum cryptographic protocol P21. EPR quantum cryptographic protocols P25. Other protocols P25. Eavesdropping stategies and counter measures P26. Conclusion P29. Appendix A. The no cloning theorem P30. Appendix B. Proof that an undetectable eavesdropper can obtain no information from the B92 protocol P31. Appendix C. Part of a Rosetta stone for quantum mechanics P44. References
Data protection and information security have been the essence of communication in today's digital era. Authentication and secrecy of secure communication are achieved using key-based cryptographic primitives; the security of which significantly relies upon the underlying computationally complex mathematics. Moreover, these existing cryptographic primitives are considered to be non-deterministic on the basis of the existing computational capabilities. However, the considerable advancements in the development of quantum computers have significantly enhanced parallel computations; thereby, posing a great threat to these existing encryption primitives. Thus, in the future, the physical manifestation of a large successful quantum computer is likely to break all the existing public-key encryption algorithms in no time. This has led to a remarkable surge of interest in propelling quantum mechanics into existence; subsequently, leading cryptographers to research various viable domains to offer quantum-resistant secure communications. Resultantly, quantum cryptography/quantum key distribution has emerged as a futuristic replacement for classical cryptography as it offers unconditionally secure communication along with the inherent detection of any unintended user. Thus, keeping in view the significance of this relatively newer domain of cryptography, this research focuses on presenting a consolidated review of the various Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocols. A comparative analysis of the working mechanism of the prominent QKD protocols is presented along with an overview of the various emerging trends that have been proposed to optimize the implementational efficiency of the BB84 protocol.
The dynamic nature of digital communication, and data transmission security have assumed paramount importance. Once thought to be impenetrable by quantum computers, traditional encryption methods now need quantum-safe cryptographic alternatives. One such revolutionary development is the BB84 Protocol, a quantum key distribution mechanism based on quantum physics. BB84 utilizes the particles' quantum features to guarantee the safety of the key exchange and make eavesdropping almost impossible. To secure the security of transmitted data, BB84 relies on single-photon sources, which emit single photons. The BB84-inspired Quantum Key Distribution Protocols are now the backbone of quantum cryptography. The production of cryptographic keys between distant parties is made possible by these protocols, allowing for a safe line of communication even in the face of quantum adversaries. To counteract the growing processing capability of quantum computers, quantum cryptography methods were developed. Quantum Key Distribution, which has its roots in BB84, is leading the road for post-quantum secure communication. These protocols offer a future where data privacy and security reign, guaranteeing the secrecy of digital communication in an increasingly linked world by harnessing the complex features of quantum particles and the strength of BB84.
Cryptographic world has faced multiple challenges that are included in encoding and decoding transmitting information into a secure communication channel. Quantum cryptography may be another generation of the cryptography world, which is based on the law of physics. After decades of using the classical cryptography, there is an essential need to move a step forward through the most trusted systems, especially enormous amount of data flows through billions of communicating channels (e.g. The internet), and keeping this transmitting information away from eavesdropping is obligatory. Moreover, quantum cryptography has proved its standing against many weaknesses in the classical cryptography. One of these weaknesses is the ability to copy any type of information using a passive attack without an interruption, which is impossible in the quantum system. Theoretically, several quantum observables are utilized to diagnose an action of one particle. These observables are included in measuring mass, movement, speed, etc. The polarization of one photon occurs normally and randomly in the space. Any interruption that happens during sending of a light will cause a deconstruction of the light polarization. Therefore, particles’ movement in a three-dimensional space is supported by Non-Cloning theory that makes eavesdroppers unable to interrupt a communication system. In case an eavesdropper tried to interrupt a photon, the photon will be destroyed after passing the photon into a quantum detector or any measurement device. In the last decades, many Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocols have been created to initiate a secret key during encoding and decoding transmitted data operations. Some of these protocols were proven un-secure based on the quantum attacks that were released early. Even though the power of physics is still active and the Non-Cloning theory is unbroken, some QKD protocols failed during the security measurements. The main reason of the failure is based on the inability to provide the authentication between the end users during the quantum and classical channels. The proposed QKD protocol was designed to utilize some advantages of quantum physics as well as solid functions that are used in the classical cryptography. The authentication is a requirement during different communication channels, where both legitimate parties must confirm their identities before starting to submit data (plain-text). Moreover, the protocol uses most needed scenarios to finish the communication without leaking important data. These scenarios have been approved in existing QKD protocols either by classical or quantum systems. The matrix techniques also are used as a part of the preparation of the authentication key, where the end users communicate by an EPR (related to Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen theory in 1935) channel. The EPR channel will be supported by an entanglement of particles. If the EPR communication succeeded, transferring the converted plain-text is required. Finally, both end users will have an authenticated secret key, and the submission will be done without any interruption.