After yesterday’s NSA codebreaking revelations, there’s some good news for cryptography. A Toshiba research lab has announced a crucial breakthrough in quantum cryptography, the last truly unbreakable form of encryption, which could pave the way for a new generation of private communications networks.
Quantum cryptography uses the properties of light to create effectively unbreakable encryption. Any attempt to tap in affects the signal and can be instantly detected. The system is already in use in some expensive and high-profile setups, most notably in Geneva’s banking sector, but it comes with serious limitations. The laser-based process only works over short distances, and it can only be used to connect two computers at a time.
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Read more at The Verge
