Data security, which is aimed at ensuring secure Internet communications, must keep pace with the hacking capability of eavesdroppers. Data and communications will become more vulnerable to attacks as decryption technologies strengthen with faster and more powerful computers.
Current encryption standards rely on random number generators and complex mathematical formulas. The problem is that technological advancement will put current encryption methods out of date. This will leave data exposed and open to interception until better decryption methods are developed.
But a whole new world is opening up. Future security lies in quantum key distribution, a field that has undergone rapid research and development since the first scheme appeared in 1984. Quantum key distribution uses quantum mechanics to ensure secure communication. This enables two parties to produce a shared random secret key known only to them, which can then be used to convert and decipher messages.
