Cryptography Talk: How safe are we?
In a fascinating talk to members of the Year 11 Colloquium, Mr. Eoin Shannon, Head of Computing at Eltham College, delved into the intriguing and rapidly evolving world of cryptography.
Starting with an exploration of basic ciphers and progressing to the use of public and private key systems, he outlined the methods employed to protect the transmission of sensitive data in the digital age. This provided students with a strong foundational understanding of how modern encryption secures everything from online banking to private messaging.
What was perhaps most illuminating, however, was Mr. Shannon’s discussion of the revolutionary role of quantum mechanics in cryptography. Introducing the principles of superposition and entanglement, he explained how quantum computers operate in fundamentally different ways compared to classical machines. This quantum advantage allows for the creation of encryption methods so secure they may be practically uncrackable, even by today’s most advanced systems. Yet, paradoxically, these same technologies hold the potential to break cryptographic methods long considered unbreakable, posing a dual-edged challenge for the future of data security.
The students, who were introduced to quantum computing last year, found this talk an exciting update, sparking discussions about the possibilities and implications of quantum technology in real-world encryption.
With the upcoming trip to Bletchley Park in July, where the legacy of wartime codebreaking lives on, students are eagerly anticipating further exploration into the rich and complex history—and future—of cryptography. This thought-provoking session has undoubtedly whetted their appetite for the challenges and possibilities of securing our digital world.
