Indian cryptography research gears up to face the quantum challenge

 (Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 10)

Topic: GS3 – Science and Technology

Context

●The news discusses the growing field of cryptography in India – its importance for securing data, and the challenges posed by quantum computing and emerging encryption techniques.

 Introduction to Cryptography

• Cryptography is a technique used to secure information by converting plain text into unreadable ciphertext.
• Its main goal is to ensure system security and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.
• The practice of sending secret messages has existed since ancient times, with notable historical examples such as Julius Caesar’s cipher and the Enigma system used during World War II.

The Importance of Cryptography

●Cryptography is used to protect data by solving complex problems. ●These problems are designed to be hard and costly to solve. ●The goal is to prevent adversaries from decoding encrypted information. ●Even those with large computing power should not easily break the code. ●Cryptography ensures security despite advancements in computing, including quantum computers. ●As computational power increases, cryptography must evolve to stay secure. ●Strong cryptographic systems use tough problems that are difficult for computers to solve. ●The main focus is on making sure data remains secure and private from malicious actors.

 Challenges and Slow Progress

• Cryptography is a slow-moving field due to its complexity and the close connection between complexity theory and cryptography.
• Research in India focuses on areas like communication complexity, proof complexity, and algebraic coding theory, aiming to enhance security.

Cryptography Keys and Their Function

• The core of cryptosystems is the key, which is a secret value used for encrypting or decrypting data.
• Modern systems, like public-key cryptography, use two keys: a public one shared with the sender and a private one kept by the receiver.
• One-way functions are used to make encryption easy but decryption very difficult without the key.

Emerging Research and Challenges

• Two disruptive research areas in cryptography are homomorphic encryption, which allows computations on encrypted data, and quantum-resistant cryptography, which ensures systems can withstand quantum computing threats.
• Indian researchers are making progress in these areas, and the government is funding cryptography research, including the National Quantum Mission and quantum communication developments.

Future of Cryptography in India

• India is advancing in cryptography research, particularly in quantum communication and data security, with government support and collaboration from various institutions.
• The importance of encryption will grow as sensitive data continues to increase, especially in cloud storage.

Practice Question:  Discuss the significance of cryptography in modern data security systems. Analyze the potential impact of quantum computing on existing cryptographic methods and India’s progress in this field. (150 Words /10 marks)

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