Public-channel cryptography using chaos synchronization

TL;DR

This paper introduces a secure key-exchange protocol leveraging chaos synchronization between two parties, where non-linear, time-delayed signals conceal states, enabling secure communication over public channels.

Contribution

It proposes a novel chaos-based cryptographic scheme that enhances security using networked synchronization and time-delayed signals to prevent eavesdropping.

Findings

Synchronization time scales linearly with the number of digits

Probability of attacker synchronization decreases exponentially with alpha

Network use improves security for finite alpha

Abstract

We present a key-exchange protocol that comprises two parties with chaotic dynamics that are mutually coupled and undergo a synchronization process, at the end of which they can use their identical dynamical state as an encryption key. The transferred coupling-signals are based non-linearly on time-delayed states of the parties, and therefore they conceal the parties' current state and can be transferred over a public channel. Synchronization time is linear in the number of synchronized digits alpha, while the probability for an attacker to synchronize with the parties drops exponentially with alpha. To achieve security with finite alpha we use a network.