Indian cryptography research gears up to face the quantum challenge

Context: Fundamental research in cryptography that’s used worldwide to facilitate
internet banking, e-commerce services, and secure messaging systems is now
taking root in India as well. The principal goal of those developing or using
cryptographic systems is to improve system security. Cryptography — from the
English roots of “hidden writing” — is the name for techniques that secure
information by converting plain text into ciphertext. It is concerned with the
creation and use of encrypted messages that only the sender and the receiver
can understand and which a malicious actor who interferes with the
communication can’t.

Key points

·       Overview: Cryptography is
a cornerstone of modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT), serving
as a robust mechanism to secure information and communications. Scientists are
proposing a new technology known as quantum cryptography to protect sensitive
communications.

·       Cryptography: It plays a
vital role in securing information and communication within the vast realm of
Information and Communication Technology (ICT). It’s like a digital shield,
protecting sensitive data from prying eyes and ensuring its integrity during
transmission or storage.

·       Quantum
Cryptography: It is also known as quantum encryption which uses
the naturally occurring properties of quantum mechanics to secure and transmit
data in a way that cannot be hacked. It is completely secure against being
compromised without the knowledge of the message sender or the receiver, some
of the benefits are-

Ø  Provides secure
communication - Instead of difficult-to-crack numbers, quantum cryptography is based on
the laws of physics, which is a more sophisticated and secure method of
encryption.

Ø  Detects
eavesdropping - If a third party attempts to read the encoded data, then the quantum
state changes, modifying the expected outcome for the users.

Ø  Offers multiple
methods for security - There are numerous quantum cryptography protocols
used. Some, like QKD, for example, can combine with classical encryption
methods to increase security.

·       Cryptography
permeating the ICT landscape: Encryption - Messages are transformed
into unreadable code using mathematical algorithms and secret keys. 

Digital
Signatures - Cryptography allows to create a unique digital fingerprint of the
data, ensuring its authenticity and preventing tampering.

Data at Rest - When storing
sensitive data on hard drives or in cloud servers, encryption scrambles it into
an unreadable format. Even if hackers gain access to the storage, they’ll face
a formidable wall of complex code.

Data in Transit
-
As data travels across networks, it’s vulnerable to interception.

Authentication - Cryptography
verifies the identity of users trying to access systems or information.

Authorization - Once
authenticated, users are granted specific access levels to data and systems.

·       Conclusion: Cryptography is
integral to maintaining security and trust in the digital world. By protecting
data in transit and at rest, and enabling secure authentication and
authorization, it fortifies the ICT infrastructure. As digital interactions
continue to expand, the role of cryptography in ensuring secure and reliable
communication becomes increasingly crucial.