Researchers at FIU's College of Engineering and Computing have developed an encryption algorithm to defend videos from attackers with access to the world's most powerful computers.
The encryption method protects sensitive videos from quantum computers — a rare but extremely powerful form of computer. FIU's innovation stands to enhance cybersecurity for a wide range of videos, including those containing intellectual property, security surveillance footage and financial information.
The research, published in IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, was led by S. S. Iyengar, Distinguished University Professor at the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences; Yashas Hariprasad, a Ph.D. candidate on the FIU team at the time of the research; and Naveen Kumar Chaudhary of India's National Forensic Sciences University.
"Our quantum-safe encryption addresses three critical challenges in cybersecurity," Hariprasad says. "We are preparing for quantum threats that will emerge within the next decade as these computers gain greater interest; creating scalable solutions that can protect real-time applications like Zoom; and optimizing efficiency so organizations don't have to choose between security and performance."
Quantum computers work differently than their traditional counterparts. Instead of using the traditional binary digits (0s and 1s) used in classical computers, quantum computers use qubits (quantum bits), allowing them to handle unusually large amounts of data in real time. However, these devices have their downside: loud noises, changes in temperature and other shifts in their environment can disrupt their ability to operate. Quantum computers are expensive and rare, with only a handful of countries, companies and universities having access to them.
While, today, the number of known hacking attempts from quantum computers is small—some experts believe this might change.
In March, the United Kingdom's National Cyber Security Centre issued new guidance, advising large entities to update their encryption methods by 2035 in preparation for a world in which quantum technology is used on the offensive.
"Think of a regular computer hack as someone trying to pick a traditional door lock – it could take days, even years, to try every combination. But a quantum computer hack is like having a key that could try multiple combinations simultaneously. This is what makes quantum threats so powerful," says Iyengar, whose Digital Forensic Center of Excellence at FIU is supported with funding from the U.S. Army Research Office.
The FIU researchers' algorithm represents a significant advancement in quantum-safe cybersecurity. It is designed to run on today's conventional computers while providing security against both traditional hacking methods and future quantum computer attacks; protects videos while they are being transferred and while they are stored; and proves 10-15% more effective than comparable advanced encryption techniques, according to the team's findings.
Specifically, the researchers found that their algorithm performed statistically superior to other encryption methods in its ability to create more randomness in the encrypted data and reduce patterns that hackers could exploit—making videos encrypted with FIU's method significantly harder to crack overall.
The research team is collaborating with QNU Labs – a cybersecurity company with quantum computing capabilities – to further explore the practical implications of the research.
As quantum computing continues to progress from research labs toward wider availability, the work of Iyengar's team positions FIU at the forefront of preparing digital infrastructure for emerging threats.
