A virtually unhackable communication system hides data transmission within natural heat radiation, a new study has shown.
Led by researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the study uses a phenomenon known as ‘negative luminescence’. The method works by blending data signals into the background of natural heat radiation – the faint glow of heat that objects give off in infrared – which is detected using a thermal camera.
As the data transmission process is hidden, it means the communication is difficult to intercept or hack. This makes the process ideal for transmitting sensitive data in sectors such as defence and finance.
Bad actors seeking to intercept today’s data transfer technologies abound, but as Michael Nielsen, lead author from UNSW, puts it: “If someone doesn’t even know the data is being transferred, then it’s really very hard for them to hack into it.”
The process utilises the effect of negative luminescence in mid-infrared LEDs. The team developed a thermoradiative...