Attacks on quantum key distribution protocols that employ non-ITS authentication (original) (raw)

Security of Quantum Key Distribution Protocols

InTech eBooks, 2018

Quantum key distribution (QKD), another name for quantum cryptography, is the most advanced subfield of quantum information and communication technology (QICT). The first QKD protocol was proposed in 1984, and since then, more protocols have been proposed. It uses quantum mechanics to enable secure exchange of cryptographic keys. In order to have high confidence in the security of the QKD protocols, such protocols must be proven to be secure against any arbitrary attacks. In this chapter, we discuss and demonstrate security proofs for QKD protocols. Security analysis of QKD protocols can be categorised into two techniques, namely infinite-key and finite-key analyses. Finite-key analysis offers more realistic results than the infinite-key one, while infinite-key analysis provides more simplicity. We briefly provide the background of QKD and also define the basic notion of security in QKD protocols. The cryptographic key is shared between Alice and Bob. Since the key is random and unknown to an eavesdropper, Eve, she is unable to learn anything about the message simply by intercepting the ciphertext. This phenomenon is beyond the ability of classical information processing. We then study some tools that are used in the derivation of security proofs for the infinite-and finite-length key limits.

Man-in-the-middle attack on quantum secure communications with authentication

Quantum Information Processing, 2013

This study points out a man-in-the-middle (MIM) attack on many of quantum secure communication with authentication protocols. The MIM attack is due to a design carelessness on performing public discussions on a nonauthenticated classical channel. A possible solution is proposed to solve the problem.

Quantum Key Distribution: Basic Protocols and Threats

Proceedings of the 26th Pan-Hellenic Conference on Informatics

The last decade, the evolution in quantum computing has been enormous and real and reliable quantum computers are being developed quickly. One of the consequences of the upcoming quantum era is to make key distribution protocols insecure, as most of them are based on discrete algorithm problems. On the other hand, quantum computing provides a powerful and prominent tool for the safe transmission of information and cryptographic schemes and many of them have already been proposed. In this work, we discuss about quantum cryptography and we present certain quantum key distribution protocols. We also discuss about 'potential attacks that can be performed against the quantum cryptographic schemes which are based on quantum system's imperfections and loopholes.

Enhancing Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) to address quantum hacking

Procedia Technology, 2012

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is intended to produce cryptographic secret keys between two remote parties, usually called Alice and Bob. Even though QKD has been proven to be unconditionally secure against the eavesdropper, commonly called Eve, practical implementations of QKD may contain vulnerabilities that may lead to the generated secret keys being compromised. In order to detect the presence of the eavesdropper in the channel, in our proposal Alice introduces an interleaved sequence of decoy states which produce a characteristic distribution at Bob's station. Thus, in analyzing such distribution in presence and absence of the eavesdropper Eve, her activity in the channel is detected. This protocol doesn't require changes at the quantum physical level, but it can be incorporated at the high software level.

Different Vulnerabilities and Challenges of Quantum Key Distribution Protocol: A Review

International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science, 2017

Now days the information become the valuable assets and private information must be protected from being compromised. Today we use different sophisticated, robust encryption algorithm which are vulnerable to classical computational attack as well as the powerful parallel quantum computer. In this paper, we examine limitations and vulnerabilities and attacks to which Quantum Key Distribution can be exposed.

Security Aspect of Quantum Key Distribution

Is the newly born quantum cryptography the ultimate solution for information security? A technique needs to be both theoretically strong and practically viable. But quantum cryptography comes to naught in the latter. Unlike many of the classical cryptosystems in use today, whose security often draws on unproven assumptions about the computational complexity of mathematical problems, the security of quantum cryptography is based on—and employs—the laws of physics. The term ―unconditional security‖is used to emphasize the fact that it does not rely on the presumed, yet unproven hardness of somemathematical problem. In this Paper, we present the proof of the unconditional security of the BB84 protocol, as devised by Peter Shor and John Preskill [1].