Information-theoretically secure secrecy generation

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for performing information-theoretically secure cryptography using joint randomness not shared by others. Two valid communicating entities independently generate samples of a shared source that is not available to an illegitimate entity. The shared source may be a satellite signal, and each legitimate entity may generate uniformly distributed samples from a binary phase-shift keying signal received on an independent channel. Alternatively, the shared source may be a channel between the two legitimate entities, such that each legitimate entity generates samples of unknown distribution based on the channel impulse response of the channel. One legitimate entity generates an encryption key, a quantization error, and a syndrome from its samples. The quantization error and the syndrome are reported to the other legitimate entity. The other legitimate entity generates a matching encryption key using its samples, the quantization error, and the syndrome.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.