Integrating Classical Preprocessing into an Optical Encryption Scheme

Abstract

Traditionally, cryptographic protocols rely on mathematical assumptions and results to establish security guarantees. Quantum cryptography has demonstrated how physical properties of a communication channel can be leveraged in the design of cryptographic protocols, too. Our starting point is the AlphaEta protocol, which was designed to exploit properties of coherent states of light to transmit data securely over an optical channel. AlphaEta aims to draw security from the uncertainty of any measurement of the transmitted coherent states due to intrinsic quantum noise. We present a technique to combine AlphaEta with classical preprocessing, taking into account error-correction for the optical channel. This enables us to establish strong provable security guarantees. In addition, the type of hybrid encryption we suggest, enables trade-offs between invoking a(n inexpensive) classical communication channel and a (more complex to implement) optical channel, without jeopardizing security. Our design can easily incorporate fast state-of-the-art authenticated encryption, but in this case the security analysis requires heuristic reasoning.

Rectangular, range, and restricted AONTs: Three generalizations of all-or-nothing transforms

“…The second motivating application is due to Pham et al [13], who studied the use of all-or-nothing transforms in the secure transmission of information across two channels, where one of the channels is using optical encryption to provide security. Their results are valid if the secure channel is achieved using another information theoretically secure scheme, for example, a one-time pad.…”

“…Since we know which output blocks are transmitted over the secure channel, the all-or-nothing transform only needs to satisfy a weaker condition, namely that no information can be obtained about any input block as long as the output blocks that are sent over the secure channel are not available. Consequently, Pham et al [13] define restricted AONTs so that they satisfy this condition. We investigate these AONTs further in Section 4.…”

“…In this paper, we study three new types of AONTs motivated by applications due to Pham et al [13] and Oliveira et al [12]. After introducing each of the generalizations, we study existence and non-existence, and provide examples and constructions.…”

“…Numerous generalizations and extensions of all-or-nothing transforms have been discussed in recent years, many of which are motivated by diverse applications in cryptography, information security, secure distributed storage, etc. In particular, t-AONTs, in which no information can be obtained about any t input blocks in the absence of any t output blocks, have received considerable study.In this paper, we study three generalizations of AONTs that are motivated by applications due to Pham et al [13] and Oliveira et al [12]. We term these generalizations rectangular, range, and restricted AONTs.…”

“…In this paper, we study three generalizations of AONTs that are motivated by applications due to Pham et al [13] and Oliveira et al [12]. We term these generalizations rectangular, range, and restricted AONTs.…”