Researcher in quantum coding leap

RESEARCHERS from Edinburgh have unveiled a method of creating an unbreakable encryption code for super- computers of the future.

Dr Elham Kashefi from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics, together with an international team of scientists, has shown in the journal Science how the emerging technology of quantum computing can be used to create such a code.

The new method could be used to securely store information using cloud computing –data storage space on a remote server that is managed by a third party.

The method works because quantum computers store data using subatomic particles, known as qubits, rather than the silicon chips used in conventional computers.

Conventional encryption schemes are at risk of fraud because of the power of quantum computers, a problem eliminated by the proposed scheme.