Creation
of the world’s first practical quantum random-number generator (QRNG) could
potentially render cyberattacks impossible, according to its developers at Lancaster University and Quantum Base Ltd., a company spun off from the university in
2013.
Random-number
generation underpins the privacy and security of all electronic communications,
as well as gaming, cryptocurrencies, smart appliances and vehicles, and much
more in the digital world. Conventional “pseudo” RNGs don’t produce numbers
that are as random as most consumers believe, leading to potential
predictability, and existing quantum solutions are hindered by their size,
speed, and pricetag.
Quantum
Base, on the other hand, claims its product’s low power requirements and
simple, highly scalable structure make it capable of revolutionizing online
security. The nanoscale quantum device—only 1,000th the width of a human hair—can
be embedded into any semiconductor chip—“with little or no incremental cost
once volume production is achieved,” according to a release—and produces “pure
random numbers.”
The company said that by overcoming weaknesses in current encryption solutions, its QRNG will "allow blockchain to be implemented with unbreakable quantum security, and will be vital in sensitive areas such as banking finance, defense, and social media."
