Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Science

Eavesdropping Foiled by Decoys

Published Jan 18, 2007• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Secure communication between a sender and a receiver generally requires the message to be encrypted, with the sender and recipient sharing a secret key that encodes and deciphers the message. Ideally, the key should be changed often, and so for practical reasons the key should be distributable over normal communication channels. However, the possibility of the interception of the key by an eavesdropper would compromise security. There is, therefore, a need for a method to distribute the key to the recipient securely so that any attack on the communication channel by a potential eavesdropper can be detected and appropriate action taken.

DOI
10.1126/science.315.5810.303a

Related papers

Secure communication with coded wavefronts

Ravitej Uppu, Tom A. W. Wolterink, S.A. Goorden +3 more

Communication between a sender and receiver can be made secure by encrypting the message using public or private shared keys. Quantum key distribution utilizes the unclonability of a quantum state to securely generate a key between the two parties [1]. However, without some way of authentication of either the sender or the receiver, a man-in-the-middle attack with an eavesdropper mimicking the receiver can break the security of the protocol.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Jun 1, 2017•0 citations

Localizing Eavesdroppers Inside a Quantum Channel Using Stimulated Brillouin Scattering

Alexandra Popp, Birgit Stiller, Christoph Marquardt

While modern communication systems pose a high standard of security using state-of-the-art encryption techniques based on computational hardness problems, quantum key distribution (QKD) offers a unique advantage using the laws of quantum mechanics. A secret key is shared between two parties, using quantum states of light over a quantum channel. Due to the quantum nature of the states, any interception or other way of eavesdropping will manifest in the distortion of the quantum state resulting in a change of accessible parameters. Whenever such a change of parameters is noticed, the shared key is marked unsecure and hashed down largely or, in the worst case, discarded.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Jun 26, 2023•0 citations

Protocol and applications for sharing quantum private keys

Hanwei Wang, Tien-Sheng Lin, I-Ming Tsai +1 more

Transmitting message in secret is getting more and more important nowadays. In the classical world, the message we sent run the risk of being intercepted by an attacker. As a result, we have to encrypt the message, or send it using a private channel. However, if we transmit messages via such methods, there are still some ways to decipher the information. For example, a powerful computer can be used to decrypt the message or try to steal the message from the private channel. In quantum cryptography, entanglement can be used as a secure channel to transmit information with absolute secrecy. From this perspective, quantum entanglement pairs are equivalent to a quantum private key. However, like the classical key distribution problem, the entanglement has to be shared before it can be used. In this paper, we propose a protocol that can be used to distribute such entanglement pairs securely, so they can be subsequently used to transmit messages with perfect security. The security of this protocol is based on the laws of nature, instead of unproven mathematical hard problems.

IEEE International Carnahan Conference on Security Technology (ICCST)•Jan 1, 2005•7 citations

On secure communications without eavesdropper channel state

Phillip A. Regalia

The ubiquity of wireless connectivity between an ever-increasing number of devices has confirmed dire past predictions of widespread eavesdropping (among other security concerns) in wireless networks, further promoting the need for secure communications. Of particular interest are physical layer techniques which exploit error-correction coding intrinsic to digital transceivers and which offer two clear advantages: (i) no need for key distribution; and (ii) secrecy that is not conditioned on a computationally limited adversary. Present techniques, however, assume some knowledge of the channel connecting the transmitter to the eavesdropper; if the eavesdropper is truly passive, this critical parameter is unavailable. We therefore examine secure communication schemes that do not assume knowledge of the eavesdropper's channel, yet remain keyless in their operation. Two schemes are offered, with behavior intermediate between cryptographic and information-theoretic solutions.

IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems proceedings•May 1, 2017•2 citations

Secret Key Generation through the Multipath Fading of Reciprocal Channels in Multiple Domains.

Michael A. Forman, D. Young

Methods to generate private keys based on wireless channel characteristics have been proposed as an alternative to standard key-management schemes.In this paper, we discuss past work in the field and offer a generalized scheme for the generation of private keys using uncorrelated channels in multiple domains.Proposed cognitive enhancements measure channel coherence, to dynamically change transmission and reception parameters as well as estimate private key strength and expiration time.We evaluate a proof-of-concept implementation of this system in software using a channel model that provides variation in multiple domains. I. INTRODUCTIONFor a wireless communications link to be secure, it must provide data confidentiality and integrity during transmission.The principal method through which this is achieved is the use of cryptography, of which there are generally two types, public key [1] and private key [2].Public-key cryptography is a method for secret communication between two parties without the requirement of an initial exchange of secret keys.It employs a pair of keys, one private, which is held secret, and one public, which is distributed.Messages are encrypted with the recipient's public key and decrypted with the recipient's corresponding private key.Public-key cryptography is thus relatively unencumbered with key-exchange difficulties and key-interception vulnerabilities, however it is computationally intensive.Private-key cryptography is a method for secret communication between two parties that requires an initial exchange of a single shared secret key.Messages are encrypted by the sender and decrypted by the recipient using this same shared key.Private-key cryptography is less computationally intensive than public-key cryptography, however key distribution and management are problematic.Key distribution risks that the secret key will be intercepted during transmission.Key management requires the generation and transport of a different key for each communicating party [3].

•Mar 1, 2009•0 citations

Using a secret key to foil an eavesdropper

Paul Cuff

This work addresses secrecy with distributed systems in mind. We consider an adversary who wishes to attack a system and find the optimal communication and use of secret key to share information in such a system. Instead of measuring secrecy by “equivocation,” we define a value function for the system, based on the actions of the system and the adversary, and set out to design a system that maximizes the average value obtained against the worst adversary.

arXiv:1103.3746•Allerton Conference on Communication, Control, and Computing•Sep 1, 2010•22 citations
Secure communication between a sender and a receiver generally requires the message to be encrypted, with the sender and recipient sharing a secret key that encodes and deciphers the message. Ideally, the key should be changed often, and so for practical reasons the key should be distributable over normal communication channels. However, the possibility of the interception of the key by an eavesdropper would compromise security. There is, therefore, a need for a method to distribute the key to the recipient securely so that any attack on the communication channel by a potential eavesdropper can be detected and appropriate action taken.
While modern communication systems pose a high standard of security using state-of-the-art encryption techniques based on computational hardness problems, quantum key distribution (QKD) offers a unique advantage using the laws of quantum mechanics. A secret key is shared between two parties, using quantum states of light over a quantum channel. Due to the quantum nature of the states, any interception or other way of eavesdropping will manifest in the distortion of the quantum state resulting in a change of accessible parameters. Whenever such a change of parameters is noticed, the shared key is marked unsecure and hashed down largely or, in the worst case, discarded.
Transmitting message in secret is getting more and more important nowadays. In the classical world, the message we sent run the risk of being intercepted by an attacker. As a result, we have to encrypt the message, or send it using a private channel. However, if we transmit messages via such methods, there are still some ways to decipher the information. For example, a powerful computer can be used to decrypt the message or try to steal the message from the private channel. In quantum cryptography, entanglement can be used as a secure channel to transmit information with absolute secrecy. From this perspective, quantum entanglement pairs are equivalent to a quantum private key. However, like the classical key distribution problem, the entanglement has to be shared before it can be used. In this paper, we propose a protocol that can be used to distribute such entanglement pairs securely, so they can be subsequently used to transmit messages with perfect security. The security of this protocol is based on the laws of nature, instead of unproven mathematical hard problems.
The ubiquity of wireless connectivity between an ever-increasing number of devices has confirmed dire past predictions of widespread eavesdropping (among other security concerns) in wireless networks, further promoting the need for secure communications. Of particular interest are physical layer techniques which exploit error-correction coding intrinsic to digital transceivers and which offer two clear advantages: (i) no need for key distribution; and (ii) secrecy that is not conditioned on a computationally limited adversary. Present techniques, however, assume some knowledge of the channel connecting the transmitter to the eavesdropper; if the eavesdropper is truly passive, this critical parameter is unavailable. We therefore examine secure communication schemes that do not assume knowledge of the eavesdropper's channel, yet remain keyless in their operation. Two schemes are offered, with behavior intermediate between cryptographic and information-theoretic solutions.
Methods to generate private keys based on wireless channel characteristics have been proposed as an alternative to standard key-management schemes.In this paper, we discuss past work in the field and offer a generalized scheme for the generation of private keys using uncorrelated channels in multiple domains.Proposed cognitive enhancements measure channel coherence, to dynamically change transmission and reception parameters as well as estimate private key strength and expiration time.We evaluate a proof-of-concept implementation of this system in software using a channel model that provides variation in multiple domains. I. INTRODUCTIONFor a wireless communications link to be secure, it must provide data confidentiality and integrity during transmission.The principal method through which this is achieved is the use of cryptography, of which there are generally two types, public key [1] and private key [2].Public-key cryptography is a method for secret communication between two parties without the requirement of an initial exchange of secret keys.It employs a pair of keys, one private, which is held secret, and one public, which is distributed.Messages are encrypted with the recipient's public key and decrypted with the recipient's corresponding private key.Public-key cryptography is thus relatively unencumbered with key-exchange difficulties and key-interception vulnerabilities, however it is computationally intensive.Private-key cryptography is a method for secret communication between two parties that requires an initial exchange of a single shared secret key.Messages are encrypted by the sender and decrypted by the recipient using this same shared key.Private-key cryptography is less computationally intensive than public-key cryptography, however key distribution and management are problematic.Key distribution risks that the secret key will be intercepted during transmission.Key management requires the generation and transport of a different key for each communicating party [3].