Curvy Security
To keep messages secure, the computers that run wireless networks must do some complicated math to authenticate every Internet-enabled cell phone or wireless personal digital assistant that contacts them, and the devices must do the reverse, which can tax their batteries. Sun Microsystems senior staff engineer Hans Eberle and his team at Sun Labs are addressing that problem by creating a microprocessor that can be plugged into network computers to quickly authenticate messages from a range of wireless gadgets. The numerical “keys” used to authenticate most electronic messages today are generated by multiplying prime numbers; but to foil hackers, these numbers must be very large, containing up to 1,024 digital bits. Eberle uses a technique called elliptic-curve cryptography that instead derives keys from complex geometrical curves. The complexity of the curves makes the keys more difficult to break, so the same level of security can be achieved with smaller keys that require less computation to use. Eberle’s chips can establish secure connections at the rate of 7,000 per second-the “fastest reported,” he says. Sun’s product groups are evaluating the microprocessors for inclusion in the firm’s server computers.
Other Prototypes:
Videoconferencing by the Numbers
Keep Reading
Most Popular

Why China is still obsessed with disinfecting everything
Most public health bodies dealing with covid have long since moved on from the idea of surface transmission. China’s didn’t—and that helps it control the narrative about the disease’s origins and danger.

These materials were meant to revolutionize the solar industry. Why hasn’t it happened?
Perovskites are promising, but real-world conditions have held them back.

Anti-aging drugs are being tested as a way to treat covid
Drugs that rejuvenate our immune systems and make us biologically younger could help protect us from the disease’s worst effects.

A quick guide to the most important AI law you’ve never heard of
The European Union is planning new legislation aimed at curbing the worst harms associated with artificial intelligence.
Stay connected

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.