Attacking cryptosystems by means of virus machines

Area of Science:

• Unconventional Computing
• Natural Computing
• Computer Science
• Cryptography

Background:

• Public-key cryptosystems rely on the computational difficulty of mathematical problems like semiprime factorization.
• No known polynomial-time classical algorithms exist for these hard problems, ensuring current cryptographic security.
• Unconventional computing paradigms, including virus machines, offer alternative computational models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential of virus machines in addressing computationally hard problems relevant to cryptography.
• To design a virus machine capable of solving a generalized semiprime factorization problem.
• To formally verify the functionality of the designed virus machine.

Main Methods:

• Focus on the virus machine computing paradigm, integrating principles from virology and computer science.
• Development of a novel virus machine model designed for number computing with an environmental component.
• Formal verification techniques applied to confirm the machine's ability to solve the generalized semiprime factorization problem.

Main Results:

• A virus machine model was successfully designed to tackle a generalized version of the semiprime factorization problem.
• The computational capabilities of the virus machine in solving this cryptographic problem were formally verified.
• This research demonstrates a new approach within unconventional computing for cryptographic challenges.

Conclusions:

• Virus machines represent a viable computational model for addressing complex mathematical problems, including those underpinning public-key cryptography.
• The successful design and verification of a virus machine for generalized semiprime factorization opens avenues for future research in natural and unconventional computing for security applications.
• This work contributes to the theoretical understanding of virus machines and their practical implications in cryptography.