Quantum Cryptography Leaving the Lab

Theodore Logan writes "More than a year ago, MagiQ announced the world's first commercial quantum cryptography system (pdf), with ID Quantique following closely in their footsteps. Currently, the technology is limited to offering point-to-point connections up to a maximum distance of around 50 km, but this is likely to be greatly improved on in coming years. The systems available today are prohibitely expensive for the average Joe (MagiQ's are priced at more than $50,000 per unit), but one could envision a future in which they are built into the infrastructure by non-end user actors. Does this spell the end of the field of cryptography? Will systems like this ever become commonplace, or will they be reserved for sensitive financial transactions and military applications? What impact will quantum cryptography have on society? Good articles available from International Herald Tribune, EE Times and CNET."

point to point

[TedCheshireAcad]

Great, point to point security, but how do I encrypt all my pr0n with it?

In the PDF

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

"No matter what advances occur in digital computing, quantum encryption can never be deciphered, read or copied"

Linux already has an interface that you can move your critical documents to and they'll never be deciphered, read or copied: /dev/null

Insensitive Applications

[handy_vandal]

Will systems like this ever become commonplace, or will they be reserved for sensitive financial transactions and military applications?

Quantum crypto will be very useful for insensitive financial/military applications. Example:

"All right, you worthless son-of-a-bitch -- pay your goddamned taxes, or we blow you away!"

-kgj

Re:Of course..

[Anonymous Coward]

Dude, "quantum stuff" != "other quantum stuff".

Nice attempt to score an easy +5 insightful...

First thing that comes to mind...

[DarkHand]

Freenet: Quantum Encryption Edition

Re:Of course..

[Amiga Lover]

I fear the Quantum DRM that'll follow.

Re:I was watching some TV the other day

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

Crypto is one of those feel-good technologies that costs people a lot of money but doesn't really do much for anyone in the end.

Okay then, why don't you send me your credit card number in plain text then? no need to encrypt it, it's just feel-good technology, and I'm really an honest guy...

Re:point to point

[Rick.C]

how do I encrypt all my pr0n with it?

I've heard you can use steganography to hide your data in .JPGs ;)

Like the black hole / quasar relationship...

[Anonymous Coward]

Anything you send into /dev/null comes out in an alternate universe in /dev/random. Don't expect to be able to understand it any more than their universe can understand your /dev/null.

Social Chaos and Anarchy

[bruthasj]

What impact will quantum cryptography have on society?

It will be the end of us all! I will *never* purchase GMO-computers They will spread into neighboring villages and corporate monopolies such as Consanto will patent with royalties accumulated on a per atom basis.

Oh, the humanity!

What the hell?..

[Chitlenz]

Is a non-end user actor?

For some reason I have this vision of Gary Bussey making a drug deal...

heh - chitlenz

Re:Quantum Cryptography

[Anonymous Coward]

Unfortunately, as I see it, this means that he can DOS the connection.

Er well to do anything at all with a quantum line you need access to the fiber, at which point Denial of Service is most easily performed with a large axe. :->

Re:Quantum Cryptography

[Elwood P Dowd]

Yeah, what your other respondent said.

The definition of a man in the middle is that he can DOS your connection. There's no communication method that isn't vulnerable to disconnection. Even telepathy, as evidenced by Magneto's anti-Xavier helmet.

Re:Quantum Cryptography

[Mateito]

> Unfortunately, as I see it, this means that he can DOS the connection.

As you saw it, you DOS'ed it. :)

(Quantum wave funcion collapse induced by observation. Play on words. Hey.. give me a break.. its Monday).

Frank Frink says...

[fxer]

"Will systems like this ever become commonplace?"

I predict that quantium crypto computers will be so large as to fill an entire building, and only the 5 richest people in the world will be able to afford them

Re:It's worse than that, it's physics Jim

[Deadplant]

And we don't fully understand quantum physics, thus we can't be sure there isn't a way to generate something as funny sounding as an Anti-Heisenberg (insert star trek technical sounding blubbering) field. :)

FYI they're called Heisenberg compensators and they can be found in the transporter systems.

Re:It's worse than that, it's physics Jim

[Zangief]

Quantum cryptography is uncrackable unless you can figgure out a way to get around Heisenberg.

Bah, how difficult it can be?...

Re:Quantum Cryptography

[Anonymous Coward]

Helpful physics hint: Nothing ever has anything to do with Schrodinger's cat. Schrodinger's cat never helps anyone understand anything. Forget you ever heard about it.