It is not a wild assumption that the methods of authentication that are reliable today will become subject to manipulations in the future. It is likely that attacks will take place when cybercriminals are equipped with quantum compilers and are able to breach the protections of the most critical information systems. In the future, the veracity and authenticity of information may become a true challenge. It is in the pursuit of authenticity that selective compatibility lies.
A 2019 ISACA Journal article proposed the hypothesis that it is now possible to design information systems with selective compatibility (i.e., it can be impossible for two computers to communicate if there has not been some physical interaction [remotely or not] between these two systems).
To achieve selective compatibility, we carried out two basic research steps:
- The design of a new algorithm called a colored bit algorithm that is based on the Pauli exclusion principle. This principle establishes that two electrons circulating around the nucleus of any element are never at the same energy level. This approach allows for a new interpretation of the covalent bond encountered in the theory of semiconductors. This algorithm has the particularity of being able to integrate any new algorithm in order to make encryption keys unbreakable by a quantum compiler, thus adding an essential additional layer to security.
- The algorithm also makes it possible to design a new variant of the diode matrix, which is the basic switching circuit of electronics. By symbolically matching each energy level to a particular color, we have succeeded in multiplying the number of possible displays. The numbers 0 to 9 are presented according to eight different colors, and each color represents a distinct energy level.
The integration of these two approaches to a new orientation of cybernetics aims to achieve:
- The possibility of applying non-Boolean logic to information systems
- The emergence of new compilation laws other than those of Von Neumann’s theory
- The creation of a new alphabet resulting from a new theory of formal language
The use of these new parameters associated with the security requirements will make it possible to create completely inviolable information systems in the future. This inviolability results from the fact that only people who have the authorization and compatible systems will be able to exchange and save information. By compatible systems, we mean the consisting of a digital 4-dimension (4D) card, a central authentication server and a server containing the desired information (e.g., a bank, university, medical clinic).
This research presents all the aspects that need to be implemented to achieve the security of information systems while ensuring that critical citizen data do not end up in the hands of those who could use it maliciously. It offers a new approach to addressing the quantum threat by using an intermediate solution based on the colored bit algorithm with new fundamental electronic circuits representing a materialization of the algorithm. By creating circuits and applications that meet the requirements of the new cybernetics, we will be able to ensure the secure migration of current data to quantum servers. Moreover, in addition to maintaining the right to privacy, it will also make it possible to prevent larger-scale disasters.
This research also aims to establish irrefutable accountability in information security. In the 21st century, accountability and authenticity must matter.
Editor’s note: For further insights on this topic, read the authors’ recent Journal article, “Against the Quantum Threat: Selective Compatibility,” ISACA Journal, volume 5 2022.
ISACA Journal turns 50 this year! Celebrate with us—and do not forget you can still receive the print copy by visiting your MyISACA dashboard and opting in!
