] Startup MagiQ Technologies Inc. yesterday announced it's ] shipping what appears to be the first security system ] based on quantum cryptography. ] ] Quantum cryptography goes a step further than electronic ] cryptography through its employment of a stream of ] photons, the quantum properties of which determine the ] key. The fun part is that if an intruder observes or ] intercepts the transmission, those properties get changed ] -- an unavoidable principle of quantum mechanics -- ] meaning the sender and receiver can tell if anyone is ] eavesdropping. Perhaps more important, the key can't be ] copied or faked (see Optical Science Gets Spookier and ] Quantum Cipher Sent by Fiber ). ] ] It's a potential breaththrough, though working with ] photons has never been easy, and, as the optical ] networking bubble has shown, it can be an expensive way ] to build technology. ] ] MagiQ's Navajo system, a box made to fit in a standard ] telecom rack, was unveiled in February and began beta ] trials in March. Startup Says Quantum Crypto Is Real |