back to article Boffins invent wacky quantum gizmo prototype for secure mobile payments

A “quantum gadget” prototype capable of sending quantum keys using polarized light could make contactless payments on mobile more secure if it can be squeezed into a smartphone. The rise of contactless cards and apps such as Apple Pay and Android Pay have made it easier to make payments. Although swiping a card or smartphone …

  1. annodomini2

    So...

    Decryption becomes much harder, but DOS becomes much easier?

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    so what if you build the ultimate key?

    when you're still using the same door hinges?

    Somewhere, no matter how fancy you get, there is an "approval" sent and received.

    That is the weak point.

    But even easier, is to get on the backend and shuffle bits there. You can have all the guards and armored cars guarding your gold transactions but if you stuff them in a big vault that you "assume" is secure because you were told it was two decades ago, well, we see digital examples of that sort of thing all the time.

    Or to take a classic movie scene, from the movie Sneakers. Robert Redford listens to all the fancy specs of a door lock-then defeats it simply by kicking it so either the bolt breaks or tears free of the jamb. We've done pen testing here simply by tapping out door hinge pins to open "secure" offices. All without a single password attempt made

  3. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Go

    sounds very clever.

    Payment systems need better security and this looks interesting.

    Obviously needs a bit of work on the hardware.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Just pay for your groceries in cash, much easier.

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