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) |
For more such UPSC related Current Affairs, Check Out –Research questions ‘iron deficiency’ as key cause of anaemia in India
