I guess I was thinking of something else here. The method I was thinking of is where the encryption key is sent as a stream of quantum particles, like photons. If anybody tries to observe the key during transmission, the act of observing it changes the particles. The sender and receiver can compare parts of the key to see if it was altered. Once a secure key is established, you send data encrypted with the key using any regular channel. This method makes the key distribution unhackable because any attempt to intercept the key fundamentally alters it, alerting the sender and receiver.
Ok sorry, I did misread you. You’re talking about both parties exchanging the key with the attacker thinking the attacker is the other party. So yeah, you’re right that you’d need some public key system for ensuring the identity of the node you’re talking to.
I guess I was thinking of something else here. The method I was thinking of is where the encryption key is sent as a stream of quantum particles, like photons. If anybody tries to observe the key during transmission, the act of observing it changes the particles. The sender and receiver can compare parts of the key to see if it was altered. Once a secure key is established, you send data encrypted with the key using any regular channel. This method makes the key distribution unhackable because any attempt to intercept the key fundamentally alters it, alerting the sender and receiver.
You are just straight-up not reading my posts.
Ok sorry, I did misread you. You’re talking about both parties exchanging the key with the attacker thinking the attacker is the other party. So yeah, you’re right that you’d need some public key system for ensuring the identity of the node you’re talking to.