Speaking Dutch in a Chinese conference room - scientists found a way to protect our data from quantum computers

Quantum computer – a device that could perform non-classical models of computation. Essentially, it is a very powerful computer – more powerful than we ever had. In good hands quantum computers could speed up important scientific research. In bad one – could be used to break current cryptography, steal data and overtake communications. But scientists think we can protect ourselves from that using light.

Computers communicate with one another using cryptography. All data is and commands are encrypted in order to establish a secure line of communication. This is very important. When you are buying something online it is only cryptography that is protecting your personal banking information from the thieves. Our current cryptography is very high level and nearly impossible to breach. However, quantum computers are going to be completely different one day, especially once the quantum supremacy.

Quantum supremacy, in very much simplified terms, means that a quantum computer can do everything that a very fast normal computer can do. Google has recently made claims that they already reached quantum supremacy. These claims were not universally recognized with some other competing labs doubting the validity of Google’s calculations. This is very important to understand – Google claimed to have reached quantum supremacy because its calculations showed that it did – it had no practical use.

So how do we protect ourselves from computers that can pretty much do everything? With light! Single particle of light are already used to protect data at 1 bit per photon, but that is too slow. This is because each photon is coded as an A or a B. Now scientists think they can achieve speeds of up to 7 bits per photon. Essentially, scientists thought of a way to expand the possibilities of these photons by more than a thousand letters.

Pepijn Pinkse, who led the experiment, said: “ If a Dutch speaker picks the Chinese room, he does not understand anything, although for a Chinese speaker the lectures are crystal clear. In our method, the sender uses two languages and randomly switches between them. Also the receiver switches between listening in one language or the other. Only if the languages coincide, useful bits are conveyed. Listening to both languages at the same time is forbidden by fundamental laws of physics”.

Will this make our information completely safe? For now – yes. But the tragic fact of the matter is that as our security technology progresses, so do hacking methods. Scientists have to try to stay ahead, but hackers are always going to be just one step behind.

Source: University of Twente