True Random Number Generator (TRNG) Device

In News 

• Recently, Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a True Random Number Generator (TRNG) with a “record-breaking” performance parameter.

About True Random Number Generator (TRNG) Device

• The study describing the TRNG device has been published in the journal  ACS Nano.
• The performance of the TRNG device on the standard tests for cryptographic applications designed by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has exceeded their expectations. 
• IISc will provide better protection for sensitive digital data such as credit card details, passwords, and more using TRNG devices.
• It can improve data encryption and provide improved security for sensitive digital data such as credit card details, passwords, and other personal information. 
  • Encrypted information can be decoded only by authorised users who have access to a cryptographic ‘key’. 
    • Cryptographic keys are typically generated in computers using pseudorandom number generators, which rely on mathematical formulae or pre-programmed tables to produce numbers that appear random but are not. 
• In IISc’s TRNG device, random numbers are generated using the random motion of electrons. 
• The current measured from the TRNG device increases when an electron is trapped, and decreases when it is released.
  •  Since electrons move in and out of the trap in a random manner, the measured current also changes randomly. 
  • The timing of this change determines the generated random number.

Source:TH