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Indirect Eavesdropping in Quantum Networks

Authors:
Stefan Rass
Sandra König

Keywords: Quantum Cryptography, Markov-Chain, Secure Routing, Information-Theoretic Security

Abstract:
Quantum networks are communication networks in which adjacent nodes enjoy perfectly secure channels thanks to quantum key distribution (QKD). Drawing endto-end security from QKD-supported point-to-point security can be done by virtue of multipath transmission. This concept buys security at the cost of strongly connected networks and perfect routing. Particularly the latter is hard to ensure, since congestions or (passive) eavesdropping may cause QKD keybuffers to run empty, thus enforcing local re-routing of packets. Hence, the adversary may use eavesdropping not to extract information, but to redirect the information flow towards a relay-node that he controls. Such attacks can readily invalidate the stringent requirements of multipath transmission protocols and thus defeat any formal arguments for perfect secrecy. Moreover, this form of "indirect eavesdropping" seems to be unconsidered in the literature so far. We investigate whether or not unconditional security in a quantum network with nonreliable routing is possible. Using Markov-chains, we derive various sufficient criteria for retaining perfect secrecy under imperfect packet relay. In particular, we explicitly do not assume trusted relay or quantum repeaters available.

Pages: 83 to 88

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2011

Publication date: August 21, 2011

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-3530

ISBN: 978-1-61208-151-9

Location: Nice/Saint Laurent du Var, France

Dates: from August 21, 2011 to August 27, 2011