'Unbreakable' quantum cryptography hacked without detection using lasers

[Tyler Durden]

Schneier today is dogging quantum crypto. And whether he's right or wrong in
the long run, the notion that's getting clearly in my own mind is that it's
almost impossible for a company to legitimately need such a system, simply
because it's so easy to screw up everything else.

In other words, QC can only make sense in a near state-of-the-art information
security infrastructure, because what us is quantum encrypting your keys if
someone can merely grab them in the electronic domain? And what need to for an
interloper to do that if you'[ve screwed up the basics and your network is
wide open?

No, In can't see quantum crypto being practically useful in almost any
real-world company.

If someone gets ahold of that paper I'd like to see it.  Are those detectors
burst mode?

-TD

> Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2008 16:38:26 -0400
> To: cypherpunks at al-qaeda.net; rah at shipwright.com
> From: jya at pipeline.com
> Subject: Re: 'Unbreakable' quantum cryptography hacked without    detection
using lasers
>
> http://arxiv.org/abs/0809.3408
>
> Can Eve control PerkinElmer actively-quenched single-photon detector?
>
> Authors: Vadim Makarov, Andrey Anisimov, Sebastien Sauge
>
> (Submitted on 19 Sep 2008)
>
> Abstract: We show how PerkinElmer SPCM-AQR detector module can
> be controlled by an eavesdropper using bright optical pulses, by
> exploiting an obscure flaw in the detector electrical circuit. First
> experimental results are reported. This loophole may make possible an
> attack against quantum cryptosystems that use these detectors.
>
> Comments: 2 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for poster presentation
> at the SECOQC international conference in Vienna, October 8-10, 2008
>
> _________
>
> Quantum Hacking
>
>
> http://www.iet.ntnu.no/groups/optics/qcr/

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