Researchers at Florida International University (FIU) have developed a powerful new encryption algorithm that protects videos from a future threat: quantum hacking.
While quantum computers are still rare today, they are expected to become more widespread in the coming years—and with that comes a major risk to digital security.
This new encryption method was designed by a team from FIU’s College of Engineering and Computing, led by Professor S. S. Iyengar and Ph.D. candidate Yashas Hariprasad, along with Naveen Kumar Chaudhary from India’s National Forensic Sciences University.
Their goal was to protect sensitive videos—such as intellectual property, surveillance footage, and financial recordings—from being stolen or decoded, even by the most advanced computers.
The research was published in the IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics and highlights how the algorithm defends against attacks not just from regular hackers, but from powerful quantum computers.
These next-generation machines work differently than today’s computers.
Instead of using regular binary code (just 0s and 1s), quantum computers use something called qubits, which can perform multiple calculations at once. This means they could one day crack existing encryption methods in a matter of minutes.
The team’s solution is to get ahead of the problem by creating an encryption method that’s “quantum-safe.”
According to Hariprasad, their algorithm tackles three major issues: it prepares for the quantum threat expected within the next decade, it works in real-time for applications like video calls, and it doesn’t sacrifice speed or performance.
Although there haven’t been many real-world attacks using quantum computers yet, experts warn that it’s only a matter of time. In fact, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre recently advised large organizations to upgrade their cybersecurity systems by 2035 in preparation for potential quantum attacks.
Professor Iyengar explains the danger like this: “A regular computer hacker is like someone trying to pick a door lock one key at a time. A quantum hacker is like someone who can try all the keys at once.”
What makes FIU’s encryption method stand out is its ability to make encrypted data highly random and unpredictable—key traits that make it much harder for hackers to break through. In tests, it performed 10–15% better than other advanced encryption systems.
The FIU team is now working with QNU Labs, a company specializing in quantum cybersecurity, to explore real-world uses for the technology. As quantum computing continues to develop, this breakthrough positions FIU as a leader in protecting digital data from the next generation of cyber threats.
Source: KSR.
