Hackers can’t crack it: are holograms the next best encryption?

Digital currencies, communication channels, and sensitive data could be protected from cybercriminals using holograms, scientists propose.

Without encryption, there is no cybersecurity. During the encryption process, the sensitive data is processed using mathematical algorithms and later decoded on demand. However, those with malicious intent diligently work on various methods to crack the encryption in order to obtain the precious data.

The upcoming quantum computing era puts even more pressure on traditional encryption, as computers could break encryption within no time. In October 2024, a team of scientists in China reportedly launched the world’s first “effective” quantum attack on a classical encryption method that could break even “military-grade” encryption.

With the rising demand for digital security, researchers are on the hunt for fresh ways to safeguard data. Researchers from the University of Crete and the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas in Greece have developed an optical encryption system using holograms that traditional attack methods can not affect.

How does hologram encryption work?

Researchers have found that holograms have the power to encode a laser beam. Once the original beam hits a hologram (a small cuvette filled with ethanol), it is randomly scrambled and can not be recognized or retrieved. This shows potential for a safe data encryption method.

However, once the laser beam is encrypted, decrypting the patterns of light is challenging. That’s where scientists used neural networks that could recognize fine details of the scrambled light patterns to recreate the initial laser beam.

“By creating billions of complex connections, or synapses, within the neural networks, we were able to reconstruct the original light beam shapes. This meant we had a way to create the decryption key that was specific for each encryption system configuration,” said research lead Stelios Tzortzakis.

The researchers encrypted and decoded thousands of handwritten digits, along with shapes like animals, tools, and everyday objects, drawn from well-known databases used to assess image retrieval systems.

Trained neural networks could accurately decode images stored in hologram 90-95% of the time. Researchers believe that the success rate could be increased even more.

Not the cheapest technology out there

In the near future, researchers plan to add additional levels of protection, such as two-factor authentication.

Researchers believe optical encryption could be beneficial to secure digital currencies, transfer and store sensitive healthcare information, and secure communication channels.

"Our study provides a strong foundation for many applications, especially cryptography and secure wireless optical communication, paving the way for next-generation telecommunication technologies,” said Tzortzakis.

“The method we developed is highly reliable even in harsh and unpredictable conditions, addressing real-world challenges like tough weather that often limit the performance of free-space optical systems."

However, the main obstacle to the widespread adoption and commercialization of such technology has been the expensive and giant high-power laser systems, which require finding cheaper and more effective alternatives.