How Symmetrikey Works
The science behind the world’s most secure authentication and encryption protocol.
The current encryption landscape
Today, most message encryption protocols are based on mathematical hardness. For example, the factorisation of prime numbers is the basis of RSA encryption. But a functioning quantum computer will be able to break traditional encryption fast enough to make many current protocols unsafe. Even advances in classical computing are making encryption based on mathematical hardness less secure.
Though these breakthroughs haven’t happened yet, the rise in ‘hack now, decrypt later’ attacks (where encrypted data is stolen and stored until it can be decrypted) means that governments and enterprises around the world are responding now.
Current quantum-safe encryption
In response to these developments, two types of solutions have been put forward:
Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)
PQC seeks to find new mathematical problems that are even harder than those currently available, and so unbreakable even by a quantum computer. A common example is lattice-based cryptography.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)
QKD uses the properties of quantum mechanics to enable two parties to create a shared secret key.
Pros:
– More secure than classical encryption, for now.
– Can be scaled across networks.
Pros:
– Doesn’t rely on mathematical hardness and so is quantum-safe.
– Users can identify whether an attacker has attempted to eavesdrop.
Cons:
– Security is not guaranteed as future quantum computers could solve new maths problems.
– Resource-intensive to run, impacting user experience and performance.
– Complex to integrate.
Cons:
– Unsuitable for long-distance applications as it’s hardware-based.
– Vulnerable to attacks on its physical infrastructure.
– Expensive.
Reciprocal Kolmogorov Key Establishment: The Third Way
Reciprocal Kolmogorov Key Establishment (RKKE) is a new cryptographic method that leverages the mathematical principle of Kolmogorov Complexity to enable two parties to establish a shared, secret key from random datasets.
Because RKKE is not based on mathematical hardness, it sidesteps the challenges with classical encryption and PQC. RKKE is secure against all known classical and quantum attacks, and the level of security can be calculated to demonstrate that security.
What Is Kolmogorov Complexity?
Kolmogorov Complexity is a measure of how easy a dataset is to compress. A dataset with a low Kolmogorov Complexity can be recreated from a very small set of instructions – which also means that it is highly ordered.
RKKE uses the principle of Kolmogorov Complexity to take a finite set of random datasets and, through successive rounds of correlation and distillation, identify matching data strings that can be used to create a pair of symmetrical keys. The process introduces additional randomness to the data that is transmitted during the distillation process which means an eavesdropper has no way of computing what those strings are with any degree of certainty, even with quantum computing resources.
Symmetrikey: The World’s First RKKE Encryption Protocol
Symmetrikey from Cavero Quantum uses RKKE to create the world’s most secure key exchange and endpoint verification solution.
Symmetrikey gives organisations a highly secure and futureproof encryption layer that can be integrated at any layer of the OSI stack and used for a wide range of applications. Perhaps most exciting is the ability to create two-way endpoint verification and a perfect corridor of secrecy for communications, opening up the potential for quantum-safe, passwordless authentication that complements other security measures such as biometrics.
Want To Know More About Symmetrikey?
If you’d like to understand more about how Symmetrikey works, we have a scientific paper and a business-focused white paper available upon request. Fill in the form below and we’ll be in touch.