India's Quantum Leap in Digital Security

digital security: India’S QUANTUM BREAKTHROUGH

Overview

Indian scientists have achieved a remarkable step that could make the internet and online transactions far safer. Researchers at the Raman Research Institute (RRI) in Bengaluru, led by physicist Urbasi Sinha, have used quantum technology to create true random numbers — a critical foundation of all digital security.

What Are Random Numbers?

Random numbers are numbers that appear without any predictable pattern. They are essential for securing passwords, encryption keys, online banking, and digital transactions. When you log in to a website or make an online payment, these numbers help hide your data from hackers.

However, the random numbers generated by today’s computers are pseudo-random, produced by mathematical formulas. Expert hackers can sometimes predict or recreate them, leaving current systems vulnerable.

The Quantum Advantage

Quantum physics deals with the behaviour of tiny particles like photons. Their behaviour is naturally unpredictable — a property called true randomness. Using this property, Sinha’s team has generated random numbers that no computer can guess or reproduce.

The researchers also used quantum entanglement, where two particles remain connected even if they are far apart. Measuring one instantly affects the other, ensuring the randomness is genuine and cannot be faked.

Why It Matters

This discovery can make encryption systems, passwords, and online data storage far more secure. It lays the foundation for hack-proof digital communication and has potential applications in defence, banking, and national security.