PreprintArticleVersion 1Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Enhancing Security of BB84 Quantum key Distribution Protocol against Detector Blinding Attacks by Use of an Active Quantuam Entropy Source in the Receiving Station
Version 1
: Received: 29 September 2023 / Approved: 30 September 2023 / Online: 30 September 2023 (08:46:42 CEST)
Version 2
: Received: 31 October 2023 / Approved: 1 November 2023 / Online: 2 November 2023 (08:04:13 CET)
Stipčević, M. Enhancing the Security of the BB84 Quantum Key Distribution Protocol against Detector-Blinding Attacks via the Use of an Active Quantum Entropy Source in the Receiving Station. Entropy2023, 25, 1518.
Stipčević, M. Enhancing the Security of the BB84 Quantum Key Distribution Protocol against Detector-Blinding Attacks via the Use of an Active Quantum Entropy Source in the Receiving Station. Entropy 2023, 25, 1518.
Stipčević, M. Enhancing the Security of the BB84 Quantum Key Distribution Protocol against Detector-Blinding Attacks via the Use of an Active Quantum Entropy Source in the Receiving Station. Entropy2023, 25, 1518.
Stipčević, M. Enhancing the Security of the BB84 Quantum Key Distribution Protocol against Detector-Blinding Attacks via the Use of an Active Quantum Entropy Source in the Receiving Station. Entropy 2023, 25, 1518.
Abstract
True randomness is necessary for the security of any cryptographic protocol, including quantum key distribution (QKD). In QKD transceivers, randomness is supplied by one or more local private entropy sources of quantum origin, which can be either passive (e.g. a beam splitter) or active (e.g. an electronic quantum random number generator). In order to understand better the role of randomness in QKD we revisit the well-known "detector blinding" attack on BB84 QKD protocol, which utilizes strong light to achieve an undetectable and complete recovery of the secret key. We present two findings. First, we show that the detector blinding attack is in fact an attack on the receiver’s local entropy source. Second, based on this insight, we propose a modified receiver station and a statistical criterion which together enable robust detection of any bright-light attack and thus restore security.
Keywords
entropy source; quantum cryptography; quantum hacking; quantum communication
Subject
Physical Sciences, Quantum Science and Technology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
