A New Cryptography Uses the Quirks of Photon Streams

November 4, 2002 | Source: New York Times

MagiQ Technologies plans to offer a cryptogaphy system using quantum key distribution in 2003.

Keys to the code are transmitted as a stream of photons, sent over a fiber optic cable. Security is based on quantum physics: observing the transmission would alter the photons, rendering their information useless to any eavesdroppers.