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whatson-northwales · 6 years ago

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Online Christmas shopping has taken off in a big way in the past decade. With the global online market at our finger tips, It’s very easy for us to forget about the gifts and crafts created locally. As the internet takes over the world, with glossy websites, next day delivery and an infinite gift options, we can often overlook local artists, creatives and vendors within an arms reach of our towns. There are many local companies in north Wales and Wales a as whole producing some beautiful welsh Christmas gifts, that have way more Calon (heart) than their Chinese equivalents! So I have put together a Welsh gift selection, that you can purchase online, and at the same time support local creators, it should cover a few bases for you. There is a balance of gifts from north Wales, and a couple of techy gifts added for our wider community! Enjoy.

Landscape photography is a style of its now. Simon Kitchin who is an award-winning landscape photographer is also an author of Photographing North Wales, has a fab book out. He has described in this book, more than 100 locations and hundreds of viewpoints for the readers to go and shoot from. In each location chapter, it starts with an overview of geological, natural history, literary, and described history. (click the image to learn more).

Ash Dykes, at the age of 23, he has became the first ever person to solo, and walk across Mongolia. It took 78 of days to cross the Altai Mountains, the Mongolian Steppe, and the Gobi Desert. In this motivational book, Ash Dykes reveals the training, planning, sheer determination, and spirit that made him successful in the record-breaking achievement. This is really an inspirational tale. (click the image to learn more).

The Welsh brewing is an expanding hotbed of imagination and responsible for making beers that is able to hold own against anything that the rest of the United Kingdom has to offer. This case comes with 12 bottles of Welsh Microbrewed Beers. This is the fantastic selection of rich beers and having the true taste of Wales. (click the image to learn more).

The Mavic pro-DJI has a compact size but powerful drone that will turn the sky in a watercolor of creativity without worry and easily. It is designed with a small size hides a high level of complexity which considers it one of DJI’s most sophisticated flying cameras. 24 high-performance cores computing, a brand new system of transmission with 7 kilo meters of range, 4 k camera and 5 vision sensors stabilized by a mechanical 3-axis gimbal which will remain at your command with just one touch. (click the image to learn more).

The Syma x5c Explorers is one of the best selling products on Amazon. And the reason is very simple, an excellent quality/price because with this drone you can get photos and videos in a simple and high quality, as well as an easy and intuitive piloting. This drone offers with solvency a positive response to the expectations that we can make of a drone of this category and price even exceeding them. (click the image to learn more).

The EOS 1300D comes with the same CMOS sensor of APS-C size as its predecessor. The most important changes with respect to the previous model are focused on connectivity since it comes with Wi-Fi and can connect to the phone through NFC. The processor, a Digic 4+, is the other novelty of this model that makes improve the number of shots in a burst, that although it remains in a modest 3 fps improves from 69 JPEG to 1110, in RAW it remains the same, in 6 RAW. (click the image to learn more).

W. Brewin & co, Hiking and outdoor socks These socks come in 3 pack which are designed to be worn with Boots. These are ideal for hiking, gardening, and walking. The pack, has one pair Grey, one pair with Black, and one pair with Blue mix socks. It is made with 44% of Wool, 42% of Acrylic, 9% of Cotton, and 5% of Polyester. They are machine washable. A good choice if you are looking for warm and durable socks for the welsh winter! (click the image to learn more).

On the winding slopes of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales, Penderyn whiskey is based. On these steep slopes, this unique malt whiskey made with malted barley is born. It gives a delicious fruity touch and full depth and complexity of flavors. It has a beautiful golden color and its aromas of black fruit and caramel mixed with green apples and hazelnuts make it a unique whiskey. Balance, persistence, kindness, and elegance are qualities that define a rare whiskey and appreciated throughout the world by the most demanding fans. (click the image to learn more).

The Snowdonia Cheese Company is well-known for its delicious cheddar cheeses. If you’re planning to gift a cheese box this Christmas, this could be arguably the best one to choose. It comes in rather nice gift box and is full of their different flavours. So if in doubt this Christmas give the give of local Snowdonia cheers (click the image to learn more).

This is the most brilliant and beautiful gift set for your dog. This set includes a bottle of Pawsecco which is healthy food for your dog. You will also find Pooch & Mutt including a Tube of their mini-bone healthy dog treats. Billy+Margot Popcorn, which is 100% Air Popped popcorn with seaweed seasoning. This gift set is completely Non-carbonated, Non-Alcoholic, and Grape-Free. This whole set is designed with the advice of Veterinary Expert. (click the image to learn more).

This dragon designed cufflinks are small decorative accessories which are available in Silver or Gold plated design. (click the image to learn more).

Recycled blankets, soft furnishings and super comfy rugs are all made by Tweedmill Textiles based in Flit in north Wales. This recycled rug is made out of 50% of Recycled Wool and 50% of other fibers. Approximate size of this wool rug is 120 x 150 cm. This is the great product for alfresco picnicking or Indoor use. (click the image to learn more).

13. Barti Ddu Rum – Seaweed spiced Rum

70cl bottle of Barti Ddu Seaweed Spiced Rum

A blend of Caribbean rums which gives a smooth yet spicy palate

Seasoned with laver seaweed from Pembrokeshire.

Perfect to drink long with ginger ale and a slice of lime or neat over ice.

35% ABV. (click the image to learn more).

14. Welsh Love spoon – By Carwyn Love spoons

Hand Carved Welsh Love Spoon. Two Hearts hand carved and joined together as a token of Lasting Love.

FREE ENGRAVING: Suitable for Engraving a name on each heart and a date on the bowl. Click ‘Customize Now’ to order. If you do not require engraving, simply follow the same process and insert ‘NO ENGRAVING’ in the 1st text box.

25cm / 9.75″, Carved in Lime Wood from Monmouthshire, Colour may vary slightly

An accompanying card with an explanation of the Lovespoon tradition is enclosed with each order.

Suitable for All Occasions: Weddings, Anniversary, Engagement, Valentine’s, Gift from Wales etc. (click the image to learn more).

15. Welsh slate coasters and place matts – By Pendragon

Decorative pieces

6 piece boxed set of felt backed Welsh Slate coaster

Welsh Slate Castles of Wales 6pc Coaster Set (click the image to learn more).

16. Janet Bell of Beaumaris – Janet has a wonderful colourful gallery here in north Wales, situated in Beaumaris. Her work is delightful and encompasses many of our lands hotspots which she puts her own fabulous colourful vibrant spin on.. (click the image to learn more).

17. Aberfalls coffee and Chocolate Liqueur. Here is one for the winter warmer menu infant of a open fire..(click the image to learn more)

18. Bodnant food hampers- An award winning brand that creates the most stunning hampers filled with delicious ingredients. Hop over to their store and see their range..

19. Junkbox Adventure Apparel

North Wales based adventure brand Junkbox has some really crisp and cool items. Founded and ran by Carrie who has opened up the shop ‘2nd Floor’ in Chester where she is selling her cool street style clothing and products alongside a few other independent Welsh brands. Check her website here.

20. Old Faithful Beard Oils

Perfect for the hairy man in your life! No seriously beared products are coming back in a big way, the vintage biker look sported by Misseour Beckham has taken a life of its own ..

They have a range of beard and shaving oils, moisturisers and balms are the perfect gifts for your face fuzz sporting friends. Their products can be purchased via their website.

21. Malbi welsh textiles company

MABLI is an amazing natural textiles company by designer Lisa Roberts.

We love her woolen garments in marino and alpaca for children that seems to hold a very organic and natural feel to them. They do all sorts of beautiful garments head over to their online store.

22. Jwrnal in print

Over the last year Sarah has built a brilliant community of Welsh creators with Jwrnal.

A month or two back she published their first print edition, so if you’re looking for a great read for the coffee table this Christmas, you can order a copy via their website here.

23. Great Welsh Experiences. Gaia adventures is run by friend and local climber Sam Farnsworth. Sam is a bit of a legend in this these parts, setting up the UKs first Cliff Camping hotel, where clients come to stay the night perched on the edge of a sea cliff for an afternoon or the whole night. Sam an avid climber runs courses at his “cliff hotel” throughout the year and has gift vouchers available this Christmas.. For those with a head for heights and adrenalin, its a prefect fit! See his website here

24. Gift Experiences — Zip world. The Zip world family has been very busy in the past couple of years with further additions to their brand in the form of the very cool ” Forest Centre in betws y coed. They now have a stunning array of activities of all to take part in and offer gift vouchers on their site.. A great Xmas gift!

25. Gwynedd confectionaries

Gwynedd Confectioners is the largest independent chocolate manufacturer in Wales and is one of the UK’s leading designers of chocolate products.

With an unique ability to design and manufacture innovative chocolate products, the company prides itself on providing its clients with ‘Perfection in Confection’ no matter what circumstance. check out their range of chocolates here!

26. A life sew simple

Kim is the face and designer behind A Life Sew Simple. For over the last 5 years I have worked full time designing and sewing home decorations and gifts.I spend my days working from home on the beautiful island of Anglesey in North Wales.One of my original and most popular designs has been my Isle of Anglesey cushion, which has proved popular both locally and across the world, travelling as far as Dubai and Australia. See here.

27. Aberfalls gin gift collections – A stunning little gin collection for all those G&T fans..

The spirit of north wales collection a elegant premium gift pack for our gin.

Aber Falls Gin Collection containing 5 x 70cl of Aber Falls Gins & Liqueurs

Aber Falls Violet Gin Liqueur: A gin to make you relive you favourite childhood memories. Aber Falls Violet Gin Liqueur is a smooth and refined fragrance with a light, delicate tastes, sweet violet notes and a perfumed finish.

Aber Falls Salted Toffee Gin Liqueur: A collaboration between Aber Falls and Halen Mon. Halen Mon are a sustainable producer of Anglesey Sea Salt. Coming together to produce a rich and smooth salted toffee flavour Liqueur. The palate is smooth and velvety with hints of burnt sugar, leading into a perfect balance of salt and toffee flavours on the palate.

Aber Falls Marmalade Gin: A refined balance between sweet and bitter orange flavours throughout. A strong flavour of juniper followed by a citrus hit and warming aftertaste.

28. Anglesey towns and villages book. What better way to get in the spirit of your next visit to north Wales, than with some Christmas time reads.. (click the image to learn more).

29. Miss Marple makes — Amazing Christmas decorations

My Porcelain creations are colourful,uniquely quirky and there’s usually a fox about somewhere! See here

30. Gifted Turtles UK– Welsh print poster with names on with Welsh flag. Personalised- word art gifts welsh flag, see here.

Our lovely little business started out in the corner of our lounge with an old PC and a photo printer in January 2016. We started out selling our word art prints, which were already being sold by hundreds of other people. We thought we could create better designs than the ones available, so we set to work in creating our first handful of listings. Sales were slow in the beginning, and we were only selling one or two items per day. We kept at it however, and slowly started to build momentum.

31. Sofia Illustration- Anglesey illustrated map. We saw Sofias work and fell instantly in love with it.. Go look at her work here..

32. I’m Welsh What’s Your Superpower 10oz Mug Cup. What can I say about this!? (click the image to learn more).

33. Under Armour Men’s Welsh Rugby Supporters Home Jersey. For passionate rugby fans alike! (click the image to learn more).

34. Conwy Brewery has been doing amazing things of late in the beer world.. They have a 12 bottle gift selection available on Dark ales and Real ales for Xmas online

35, Anglesey then and now book, a great read to reminisce through Anglesey by gone past to its modern day present.

36. Halen Mon, how could I forget these guys?! They are dominating the global salt market and exporting to over 30+ countries last time I checked.. Incredible success and and a very nice products which they have expanded into all sorts of niches! We love it! Here is just one of the gift sets available from their range..

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Thanks for following our blog we appreciate every single one of you! Feel free to leave us a comment, give us a thumbs up and share with your friends and family. If you have a blog topic you would like us to cover drop a mention in the comments below.

We have a lot of exciting new content coming through in the next few weeks so make sure you pop back.

Ps– If you haven’t already seen our Facebook, twitter, and Instagram come and say hi! We are very active on there.. Also subscribe to our newsletter here for upto date insights of what we get upto (plus : Get a free Top 100 things to do guide here in north Wales!). See you soon, Nick.

Front cover image by : A life sew simple

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Bit about the blogger : My names Nick Fraser and I’m a local Marine Geologist and Oceanographer. I have moved back to the island of Anglesey for the past four years having grown up here and moved away. I am a passionate outdoor lover with a penchant for all things natural. When I’m not blogging in ofter found climbing or out in the wild in and around north Wales.

Top Welsh Christmas gifts 2018 Online Christmas shopping has taken off in a big way in the past decade. With the global online market at our finger tips, It's very easy for us to forget about the gifts and crafts created locally.

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technato · 6 years ago

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The Future of Cybersecurity Is the Quantum Random Number Generator

Truly random numbers will provide an unbreakable tool set for cryptography

Illustration: Greg Mably

In 1882, a banker in Sacramento, Calif., named Frank Miller developed an absolutely unbreakable encryption method. Nearly 140 years later, cryptographers have yet to come up with something better.

Miller had learned about cryptography while serving as a military investigator during the U.S. Civil War. Sometime later, he grew interested in telegraphy and especially the challenge of preventing fraud by wire—a problem that was frustrating many bankers at the time. As a contemporary, Robert Slater, the secretary of the French Atlantic Telegraph Co., wrote in his 1870 book Telegraphic Code, to Ensure Secresy [sic] in the Transmission of Telegrams, “Nothing then is easier for a dishonest cable operator than the commission of a fraud of gigantic extent.”

In his own book on telegraphic code, published in 1882, Miller proposed encrypting messages by shifting each letter in the message by a random number of places, resulting in a string of gibberish. For example, to encode the word HELP, you might shift the H by 5 so that it became an M, the E by 3 so that it became an H, the L by 2 so that it became an N, and the P by 4 so that it became a T. Even a meddlesome cable operator wouldn’t know what to make of MHNT unless he also had the list of random numbers, 5-3-2-4. For truly unbreakable encryption, each string of random numbers would encode only one message before being discarded.

About 35 years after Miller’s book, Bell Labs engineer Gilbert S. Vernam and U.S. Army Capt. Joseph Mauborgne came out with essentially the same idea, which they called the one-time pad. And ever since, cryptographers have tried to devise a way to generate and distribute the unique and truly random numbers that the technique requires. That, it turns out, is incredibly hard to do.

So instead, we’ve relied on less secure encryption methods, with the consequence that attackers who are sufficiently patient and knowledgeable can now crack into any encrypted data they want. And compared with Miller’s day, today we have more ways of connecting than the telegraph—through Internet of Things devices, wearable tech, and blockchain-dependent services, to name just a few—and they all need strong encryption. According to the 2017 “Cyber Incident & Breach Trends Report” [PDF] by the Online Trust Alliance, more than 150,000 businesses and government institutions were the victims of cybercrime last year. In just one of those attacks, on the consumer credit reporting company Equifax, hackers culled the personal information of nearly 148 million customers. “Surprising no one, 2017 marked another ‘worst year ever’ in personal data breaches and cyber incidents around the world,” the report concluded.

Fortunately, researchers have made good progress in recent years in developing technologies that can generate and distribute truly random numbers. By measuring the unpredictable attributes of subatomic particles, these devices can use the rules of quantum mechanics to encrypt messages. And that means we’re finally getting close to solving one of cryptography’s biggest puzzles and realizing the unbreakable encryption envisioned by Miller so many years ago.

One-Time Pad Encryption

Illustration: Erik Vrielink

You can’t beat one-time pads for security, if you use truly random numbers to shift the letters. Unfortunately, most one-time pads today use algorithms to generate pseudorandom numbers, like this example, which used numbers generated by Google.

As any cryptographer knows, you need three ingredients to make a hackproof encryption method. First, you need an algorithm that converts your message into a string of meaningless characters. Second, you need a way to produce random numbers. And finally, you need the means to deliver the first two ingredients to the intended recipient without anyone else gaining access.

You cannot protect a message with the first ingredient alone, no matter how good the algorithm is. An encrypted message will be completely exposed to anyone who knows the algorithm used to secure it. That’s why we combine the algorithm with random numbers. Despite its relatively simple algorithm, the one-time pad becomes unbreakable with the addition of random numbers. To recover the original message, you need to know the specific sequence of random numbers the algorithm used to encrypt the message. Those random numbers are a cryptographic key, which unlocks the content of the encrypted message, but it’s useless for deciphering other messages, just as your house key opens your front door but not your neighbor’s. Your encryption system is thus only as strong as your cryptographic key is unpredictable.

Unfortunately, most sources of random numbers aren’t truly random. These pseudorandom-number generators use algorithms to produce sequences of numbers that look random. But again, if you know the underlying algorithm, they become completely predictable.

We can also generate random numbers by measuring physical processes, like flipping a coin or the interference of radio communications on an electric current. One problem with this approach is that if the process is bound by the laws of classical physics, the measurements can be predicted. To be sure, it may take some doing to reverse engineer what’s being measured, but a cryptographer has to assume that somebody will eventually find a way to do so.

Many physical random number sources are also slow. One common method is to record the coordinates of mouse clicks or movements on a computer screen. KeePass, an open-source password manager, uses mouse jiggles to generate a master password. Think how much random clicking or jiggling it would entail just to encrypt every email you wanted to send.

What’s needed, then, is a source of true randomness that is fast enough and that any device can use. That’s where quantum mechanics comes in.

By their nature, subatomic particles like electrons and photons behave in ways that can’t be predicted. If you take two photons emitted by the same atom at different times but under the same conditions, they may exhibit different behaviors, and there’s no way to predict those behaviors ahead of time. That’s not to say any behavior is possible, but of the outcomes that are possible, we can’t predict which one we’ll get. That unpredictability is crucial for developing a random number generator.

One-Way Functions

Illustration: Erik Vrielink

The most common example of a one-way function is the multiplication of two large prime numbers (typically thousands of digits long). Any computer can multiply two large primes in the blink of an eye, but even for the fastest, it’s very slow going to reverse the process, taking the answer and checking all the possible options until it finds the two initial numbers.

In the 1990s, a team at the U.K. Ministry of Defence became the first to propose a way to use quantum mechanics for random number generation. Today, you can buy commercial quantum random number generators from companies like QuintessenceLabs and ID Quantique. QuintessenceLabs’ generators are based on quantum tunneling, which occurs when subatomic particles spontaneously pass through a barrier that according to classical physics they shouldn’t be able to cross. The ID Quantique generator tracks the distribution of individual photons as they hit a detector.

All of the available commercial generators are limited to specialized applications, such as encrypting classified military data or financial transactions. They’re much too large, or too slow, or too expensive for mass market use. Imagine instead having a tiny quantum random number generator installed in your phone, your laptop, or anything else that needs to communicate securely. Creating such cheap, compact, and quick quantum systems has been the focus of our group’s research at the Institute of Photonic Sciences, or ICFO, in Barcelona, for the past eight years.

One of the most promising approaches is based on a type of semiconductor laser called a distributed feedback laser diode. We start by oscillating the laser diode above and below its threshold level—that is, the energy level at which the stimulated emission of photons starts. For our laser diodes, the threshold is about 10 milliamperes. Each time the laser exceeds its threshold level, the laser will emit photons with a random phase, which means that the photons will be at an unpredictable point along their wavelength. Those random phases become the basis for the random numbers we use to generate a cryptographic key.

We’ve already built several devices that have helped confirm the “spooky action at a distance” principle in quantum mechanics, which is the idea that entangled particles can interact with one another instantaneously regardless of distance. Specifically, our devices provided an observer-independent method of verifying that the spooky action could occur, which is important when it comes to proving that the instantaneous interaction is actually occurring. We built those devices using fiber optic cable, and each was about the size of a shoebox. Now, using standard chip-fabrication techniques, we’ve integrated the components for our quantum random number source onto an indium phosphide chip measuring less than 2 by 5 millimeters. This chip can be installed directly into a phone or an IoT sensor.

RSA Algorithms

Illustration: Erik Vrielink

Everything required to keep messages secure comes together with RSA algorithms. After two large prime numbers are multiplied (a one-way function), the result is used to generate two keys for every user on the Internet. One, the public key, encrypts the string of random numbers used to disguise the message you want to send. That encrypted string, along with the now-gibberish message, is sent to the recipient, who uses his or her private key to retrieve the random numbers and therefore unlock the intended message.

Quside Technologies, a company spun off from our institute last year, is commercializing components using our technology. (One of us, Abellán, is now Quside’s CEO.) Quside’s latest generation of quantum sources can produce several gigabits of random numbers per second, which means one source should be enough for any current or emerging encryption need. And because they can be made using standard chip-fabrication techniques, it should be easy to manufacture them in large volumes.

What’s more, our chips are immune to nearby electronic interference. Generally speaking, any electronic device may be susceptible to thermal or electronic interference. White noise, for example, can interfere with the reception of radio signals. Quantum sources, being so tiny, are especially susceptible, so in most cases, their designers need to pay close attention to eliminate any effects that might corrupt the pure, inherent randomness from the quantum process. Our solution neatly avoids this problem simply because a photon’s phase is largely unaffected by electrical currents in the vicinity.

Another good quantum source for random numbers is light-emitting diodes. In 2015, researchers at the Vienna University of Technology demonstrated the first such compact random number generator. It consists of a silicon-based LED that emits photons in the near infrared and a single-photon detector. Its random number generation was linked to when the photons arrive at the detector. The lab prototype generated random numbers at a rate of a few megabits per second.

Illustration: Greg Mably

A year later, our group in Barcelona demonstrated the chip-based quantum source we mentioned before, that is capable of producing gigabits of random numbers per second using distributed feedback lasers. As a bonus, our sources are built from off-the-shelf components and rely on standard optical communication and manufacturing techniques.

Meanwhile, researchers at SK Telecom [PDF], one of the largest telecom providers in South Korea, have demonstrated a random number generator chip that uses a smartphone camera to detect the fluctuations in an LED’s light intensity. The design was based on a patent from ID Quantique. The prototype, unveiled in 2016, measured 5 by 5 mm; since then SK Telecom has announced plans for a commercial version that’s about the same size—that is, small enough to fit inside your smartphone.

Other researchers are investigating quantum random number generators based on single-photon detection arrays. The arrays can detect the small variations as a light source fluctuates and should provide even better detection of quantum fluctuations than a traditional camera can.

Having an encryption algorithm paired with truly random numbers isn’t enough. You still need a secure way to send your message along with the cryptographic key to the recipient.

For encrypting and decrypting keys, the standard protocol for many years has been the RSA algorithm. Developed in 1977 by cryptographers Ron Rivest and Adi Shamir and computer scientist Leonard Adleman, it hinges on a mathematical trick known as a one-way function—that’s any calculation that is very easy to solve in one direction but extremely hard to solve in reverse. A classic example—and the one that Rivest, Shamir, and Adleman used—is to multiply two large prime numbers, typically 1,024 or even 2,048 bits in length. It’s of course very easy to multiply the numbers together, but it’s very hard to factor the result back to the original prime numbers.

RSA and similar algorithms give every network user two keys: a public key (known to everyone) and a private key (known only to the user). To send information, you encrypt it using the recipient’s public key. The recipient then decrypts the information using her private key. The algorithms have worked remarkably well for more than four decades because it’s extremely hard to crack the private key, even knowing the public key.

Photo: Optica

Flipping a Coin: Quside’s random number generator is fully integrated into a chip that’s a fraction of a coin’s size. It’s faster than flipping a coin, too, and it can generate gigabits of random numbers every second.

The algorithms aren’t perfect, however. One of the main problems is that they take a long time to encrypt and decrypt a relatively small amount of data. For that reason, we use these algorithms to encrypt keys but not messages. The other big problem is that the algorithms are crackable, at least in theory. Right now, the only methods to crack the code take too long, provided a mathematical breakthrough doesn’t make RSA and similar algorithms easily solvable. For any practical attack, not even today’s supercomputers are up to the task.

Using a clever 20-year-old algorithm, a quantum computer, however, could easily calculate prime number factors by exploiting the quantum property of superposition to drastically decrease the computation time needed to find the correct factors. Today’s quantum computers aren’t powerful enough to handle an RSA-level hack. But it’s only a matter of time, and when that day comes, our current cybersecurity infrastructure will become obsolete.

Ideally, we should be able to exchange cryptographic keys that cannot be cracked before quantum computers or mathematical breakthroughs catch us by surprise. One possibility is to use a technology called quantum key distribution. Much like generating truly random numbers, quantum key distribution relies on the unpredictable nature of quantum mechanics, in this case to distribute unique keys between two users without any third party being able to listen in. One of the most common methods is to encode the cryptographic key into the orientation of a photon and send that photon to the other person. To achieve full security, we need to combine quantum key distribution with one-time pads to encrypt our messages, which will still require extremely fast random number generators.

We believe these quantum random number generators will be able to provide all the random numbers we’ll ever need. We’ll also have to continually check that our quantum sources are free from defect and interference and are producing numbers that are truly random. At our lab, we’ve developed a method for determining how confident we can be in a source’s true randomness. Our “randomness metrology” begins with establishing both the physical process that the source uses and the precision of the source’s measurements. We can use that information to set a boundary on how much of the randomness is arising purely from the quantum process.

Now that we’ve taken the first steps in developing quantum random number generators that are small enough, cheap enough, and fast enough for widespread, everyday use, the next step will be to install and test them in computers, smartphones, and IoT devices. With true random number generators, we can produce unpredictable cryptographic keys, and if we combine those keys with a secure method to distribute them, no longer will we have to worry about the computational or mathematical skills of an enemy—even the most capable attacker is powerless against true unpredictability. Nearly a century and a half after Frank Miller proposed his one-time pad, unbreakable security could finally be within our grasp.

This article appears in the July 2018 print issue as “The Future of Cybersecurity Is Quantum.”

About the Authors

Carlos Abellán is CEO of the quantum cryptography startup Quside, in Barcelona. Valerio Pruneri is a cofounder of Quside and the Corning Inc. chair and leader of the optoelectronics group at the Institute of Photonic Sciences, also in Barcelona.

The Future of Cybersecurity Is the Quantum Random Number Generator syndicated from https://jiohowweb.blogspot.com

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blueprintnewspapers-blog · 7 years ago

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James Bulger killer, Jon Venables jailed over indecent images

New Post has been published on http://blueprint.ng/james-bulger-killer-jon-venables-jailed-over-indecent-images/

James Bulger killer, Jon Venables jailed over indecent images

Jon Venables, one of the killers of toddler James Bulger, has been jailed for possessing child abuse images for the second time. He admitted charges of making indecent images of children and one of having a “sickening” paedophile manual. Sentencing him to three years and four months Mr Justice Edis said Venables was “manipulative and dishonest”. James’s mother faced a “horrendous ordeal” hearing the killer’s “vile behaviour” in court, a spokesman said. Denise Fergus and James’s father Ralph Bulger were at the Old Bailey to hear the latest guilty pleas. Following the hearing, campaigners condemned Venables’ sentence as “too short”. Chris Johnson, of the Justice for James Campaign, said: “Sitting through this hearing this morning was a horrendous ordeal for Denise, having to listen to the vile and repulsive behaviour that Venables has engaged in yet again. “The length of the sentence is too short. Three years is really a farce because this is re-offending and there is a pattern to this behaviour. “There should be no further collusion or attempts to cover up his offending behaviour. If re-bailed he must be kept on a very tight leash.” In 2010, Venables had been jailed for two years after admitting downloading and distributing indecent images. Images of babies Along with Robert Thompson, he abducted, tortured and killed two-year-old James in Liverpool in 1993 when they were both aged 10. They were released on licence in 2001 after serving eight years for the murder and were both given new identities. Venables, who has lifelong anonymity, appeared by videolink at the Old Bailey earlier. He admitted having 392 category A images – deemed the most severe – 148 category B and 630 category C pictures. The court heard when Venables’ computer was seized in November images were found of children, mainly aged between six and 13, although some were younger. Mr Justice Edis said some of the images found were of babies. “Given your history, it is significant that a number of the images and films were of serious crimes inflicted on male toddlers,” he said. Officers also found a “paedophile manual”, described by prosecutor Louis Mably as a “disgusting and sickening document which falls far below any recognisable standard of morality Mr Justice Edis said possessing the manual suggested Venables was “at least contemplating the possibility” of committing an actual sexual crime against children. Along with the jail sentence, the judge made Venables the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and ordered his laptop be confiscated. He said the Parole Board would decide when Venables would be released. The judge said he had received a request to delay sentencing so Mr Bulger could make a victim impact statement. ‘High risk ‘ But, in deciding to sentence straight away, Mr Justice Edis said: “I know already how it must be for them when that tragic event is once more brought into the public domain into court and so on because of the offending of one of the killers.” “I do not think there is very much more that can be said to me that I do not already know that could have an effect on the sentencing process,” he said. A report found Venables was a “high risk of real harm to children” in the future, the court was told. It states that he has a “long-term and profound interest in children”. The court also heard that as he was being taken to a police station, Venables admitted he had “let people down”. He said: “This is my own fault. I have let people down again.”

#campaigner #horrendous

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technato · 6 years ago

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The Future of Cybersecurity Is the Quantum Random Number Generator

Truly random numbers will provide an unbreakable tool set for cryptography

Illustration: Greg Mably

In 1882, a banker in Sacramento, Calif., named Frank Miller developed an absolutely unbreakable encryption method. Nearly 140 years later, cryptographers have yet to come up with something better.

One-Time Pad Encryption

Illustration: Erik Vrielink

What’s needed, then, is a source of true randomness that is fast enough and that any device can use. That’s where quantum mechanics comes in.

One-Way Functions

Illustration: Erik Vrielink

RSA Algorithms

Illustration: Erik Vrielink

Illustration: Greg Mably

Having an encryption algorithm paired with truly random numbers isn’t enough. You still need a secure way to send your message along with the cryptographic key to the recipient.

Photo: Optica

This article appears in the July 2018 print issue as “The Future of Cybersecurity Is Quantum.”

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The Future of Cybersecurity Is the Quantum Random Number Generator syndicated from https://jiohowweb.blogspot.com

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