Digital Security Latest News
- In a major advancement for cybersecurity, researchers at Bengaluru’s Raman Research Institute have successfully developed and certified a quantum-based method for generating true random numbers.
- Using a general-purpose quantum computer, the team experimentally demonstrated authentic randomness, a crucial element for creating unhackable encryption systems.
- This marks the first time such a technique is ready for real-world deployment, potentially laying the foundation for next-generation, hack-proof digital security.
Random Numbers in the Quantum Computing Era
- Random numbers are the foundation of modern digital security, forming the basis for encryption keys, passwords, and authentication systems.
- Their strength lies in being completely unpredictable, ensuring data remains secure from hacking attempts.
Pseudorandom Numbers and Their Limits
- Currently, most systems use pseudorandom numbers — numbers generated through computer algorithms that only simulate randomness.
- While these are nearly impossible to predict without knowing the algorithm and input seed, they are not truly random.
- These pseudorandom systems are sufficiently secure for now; even with brute-force attacks, traditional computers would take centuries to break their encryption.
- However, the emergence of quantum computers, which exploit quantum properties like superposition and entanglement, poses new vulnerabilities to current encryption systems.
- Quantum computers can process data exponentially faster, potentially decoding existing cryptographic protections that rely on pseudorandomness.
The Need for True Randomness
- As quantum computing advances, there’s a growing need to upgrade digital security using truly random numbers generated from quantum processes.
- Such quantum randomness could make future encryption systems virtually unbreakable, protecting sensitive data in the post-quantum era.
Randomness in Nature and Its Role in Quantum Security
- Unlike algorithmic generation, true randomness exists in natural phenomena such as radioactive decay, weather fluctuations, and especially quantum behaviour of microscopic particles.
- In the quantum realm, particles like photons or electrons exist in multiple states simultaneously, and only upon measurement do they randomly collapse into a definite state — a process that cannot be predicted.
How Quantum Random Number Generators Work
- A Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) uses this unpredictability.
- For instance, when a stream of photons is measured for a specific property, outcomes are assigned as 0 or 1, creating a truly random binary sequence.
- However, if the device is biased or faulty, the randomness can be compromised — introducing vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers.
The Challenge of Certification
- Even with quantum systems, verifying that numbers are genuinely random is difficult.
- This problem of certification arises because external interference or internal defects can mimic randomness, making authenticity uncertain.
- Cybersecurity must assume that malicious actors possess limitless hacking potential.
- Thus, the aim is not merely to make systems hard to hack, but to make hacking theoretically impossible under known physical laws — a goal that quantum-certified randomness seeks to achieve.
From Entanglement to True Randomness
- Quantum physicists at the Raman Research Institute (RRI) have pioneered a device-independent method for generating true random numbers, leveraging a quantum property known as entanglement.
- In entanglement, two particles remain mysteriously linked, with the behaviour of one instantly influencing the other, regardless of distance.
- Randomness is confirmed when their measurement outcomes violate Bell’s Inequality, a signature of genuine quantum behaviour.
- The violation of Bell's Inequality means that the quantum world cannot be explained by a local, predetermined plan. It confirms two major things:
- Genuine Randomness: The results of quantum measurements are truly, fundamentally random.
- Spooky Connection (Non-locality): Particles can be instantaneously linked across vast distances, a connection that is stronger than any "classical" signal could achieve.
- The violation of Bell's Inequality means that the quantum world cannot be explained by a local, predetermined plan. It confirms two major things:
Global Significance and Future Potential
- The current achievement represents the first major globally relevant output from India’s National Quantum Mission, aligning perfectly with its goals of advancing quantum technologies.
- While still in the laboratory stage, the method could evolve into a commercial-grade system for hack-proof digital security with further support from government and private funding.
- This marks a transformative step in quantum cryptography and cybersecurity, positioning India among global leaders in quantum technology innovation.
Digital Security FAQs
Q1: What did Indian scientists achieve in quantum security?
Ans: Researchers at Bengaluru’s Raman Research Institute developed a quantum-based method to generate true random numbers, vital for unbreakable encryption and secure communication.
Q2: Why are random numbers crucial for digital security?
Ans: They form the foundation of encryption keys, passwords, and authentication systems, ensuring unpredictability and preventing cyberattacks.
Q3: How do quantum random number generators work?
Ans: They measure unpredictable quantum events, like photon behaviour, to produce truly random sequences, unlike algorithm-based pseudorandom systems.
Q4: What does the violation of Bell’s Inequality prove?
Ans: It confirms genuine quantum randomness and non-local entanglement, proving that results are fundamentally unpredictable and not governed by hidden patterns.
Q5: What is the global significance of this discovery?
Ans: The breakthrough positions India as a leader in quantum cryptography and aligns with the National Quantum Mission’s goal of advancing secure digital technologies.
