Wed 15-May-2024 – Lecture: Rich Rademacher, “Quantum Key Distribution”
In secure encrypted communications, one of the most important ideas is that the encryption key contains all the protection of the whole system. But what happens if the system isn’t already secure…if it is brand new (unkeyed), or the key is already compromised? Even public-key cryptosystems like RSA encryption suffer from this problem: how do the initial keys (or certificates) get into the system?
Our speaker, Rich Rademacher, is an embedded systems engineer with a background in quantum computing, aerospace, and Digital Signal Processing. In this talk, he will discuss Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), a new way of getting the encryption key to remote devices where human Out of Band Key Distribution (OOB-KD) is not possible: Ku band satellites in low-earth orbit.
You may have heard of the related field of Quantum Computing (QC), which has algorithms that specifically try to break the encryption itself—particularly public-key systems like RSA. Unlike QC, QKD uses unique properties of light to create a communications channel that cannot be intercepted or faked. Also, unlike QC, QKD is practical right now. Experiments using Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites have demonstrated this actually works as a way of re-securing satellites both during initial unkeyed state, and even when compromised.
Wed 29-May-2024 – 5th Wednesday Show ‘n’ Tell: Enclosures, Cabinets, and Carry Cases
Having the best radio and test equipment enclosure requires a combination of ingenuity and art. Appearance and practicality is as important than the actual function perform by the equipment. We are looking for big & small, artwork, robustness, embedded functions, old, modern, classic, generic, jiffy, portability. Best display by vote, best story by the nominated judge.
