Ernst Piller · Hubert Schölnast
Technology-neutral comparison of QKD, RKD, and MKD for high-security key distribution, focusing on rates, distance, costs, risks, infrastructure, and one-time-pad feasibility.
Introduces the book’s purpose, comparison logic, target audience, evaluation criteria, and the rationale for comparing physical cryptography methods in practical security contexts.
Explains physical versus mathematical cryptography, key generation and distribution, confidentiality, integrity, authenticity, and the communication roles used throughout the book.
Examines quantum key distribution in theory and practice, including variants, networks, satellites, free-space links, trusted nodes, side-channel risks, and operational limitations.
Presents radio-signal key distribution as a low-cost physical method based on reciprocal wireless channels, with strong mobility advantages but modest key performance.
Explores memory key distribution through secure storage media, emphasizing massive key volume, one-time-pad feasibility, low cost, and logistical responsibility.
Explains the XOR operation as the basis of one-time-pad encryption, MAC-related integrity mechanisms, and storage encryption modes adapted to OTP use.
Addresses role-based storage encryption, procurement requirements for physical cryptography products, and the secure logistics needed for MKD media distribution.
Describes the mathematical postprocessing required after QKD and RKD, including error estimation, error correction, and privacy amplification.
Synthesizes the book’s findings by comparing QKD, RKD, and MKD against practical security objectives, costs, robustness, and deployment realities.
Detailed manufacturer-neutral survey of commercial QKD vendors, products, protocols, key rates, distances, costs, interoperability, and practical deployment experience.
Explains core QKD protocols, especially BB84 and E91, including encoding, measurement, eavesdropping detection, decoy states, entanglement, and attack possibilities.
Overview of photon sources and single-photon detectors, including operating principles, trade-offs, costs, wavelengths, performance metrics, and integration implications for QKD.
Examines true and deterministic random number generators, security requirements, attack scenarios, interfaces, speeds, products, and relevance for QKD and MKD.
Surveys secure storage media for MKD, focusing on capacity, hardware encryption, access protection, performance, certification, and suitability for large key transport.
Describes the practical development of an RKD product, including measurements, quantization, error correction, attacker analysis, costs, and wireless applicability.
Introduces HSMs, their functions, certifications, market options, and their limited but relevant role in MKD-related high-security architectures.
Outlines open research priorities for QKD, RKD, and MKD, emphasizing rates, costs, robustness, randomness, logistics, and standardization.
Compares the practical deployability of QKD, RKD, and MKD, focusing on simplicity, infrastructure, vendor dependence, and operational effort.
Where appropriate, each method is discussed in terms of assumptions, deployment constraints, and residual risks. This companion site adds appendices and deeper chapters that did not fit into the print page budget.