An entirely new approach to digital security might fundamentally change how equipment and software authentication might happen.

An atomic-scale fingerprint could boost the security of connected devices, according to British scientists who have developed it.  The researchers from the UK universities of Lancaster and Manchester built tiny, layered metallic structures in the lab and incorporated “design flaws” that were unique to the item, creating in essence a singular fingerprint.  They could be used as the basis of a robust system for authenticating hardware and software,

These identity tags are essentially minute imperfections in the building blocks of matter, making them virtually impossible to clone  because in order to do so, one would  essentially need to measure [the fingerprints] atom-by-atom.

The fingerprint structures were demonstrated at the nano-scale where the laws of quantum mechanics take over from the ones that predominate at larger scales.  But the researchers say it is a proof of principle which could be integrated into existing chip manufacturing processes.

According to lead scientist Jonathan Robert’s, these atomic-level fingerprints could be used to authenticate any electronic equipment and be 100% secure.

With one of these devices in each and every piece of electronic equipment, a host system could challenge that electronic device and compare its outputted identity signature against its source identity stored in the system. 

The technology is already being commercialized through a spin-out company Quantum Base.