Cosmic coding and transfer storage (COSMOCATS) for invincible key storage

Abstract

AbstractThus far, a perfectly secure encryption key storage system doesn’t exist. As long as key storage is connected to a network system, there is always a chance that it can be cracked. Even if storage is not continually connected to a network system; it is repeatedly necessary for an individual to access storage to upload and download the data; hence there is always a loophole with every conventional encryption key storage system. By utilizing the penetrative nature of cosmic-ray muons, the COSMOCAT (Cosmic coding and transfer) technique may tackle this problem by eliminating the requirement for any network connection to data storage. COSMOCAT was invented as a post quantum key generation and distribution technique for wireless near field communication. However, in its first stage of development, COSMOCAT relied on standard comparators and Global Positioning System (GPS) or other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) for key generation. Temporal jitters of the signals outputted from comparators and frequency fluctuations in GPS-disciplined oscillators degraded the key strength and the efficiency of both the key generation and distribution. New strategies are tested in this paper to improve these factors. As a result, the key strength and the key authenticating rate limit are respectively improved by 4 orders of magnitude and more than 5 orders of magnitude. As a consequence, it has become possible to propose a practical methodology for a new key storage and authentication strategy which has the potential to be an impregnable defense against any kind of cyber/physical attack to data storage. Practical applications of COSMOCATS-based symmetric-key cryptosystems to an electronic digital signing system, communication, and cloud storage are also discussed.