The Impact of Entropy on Cryptographic Security: A Quantitative Analysis

[Caute_cautim]

Hi All

Abstract—This paper serves as an educational demonstration examining the relationship between entropy levels in cryptographic key generation and the resulting security strength of encryption systems. Through controlled laboratory testing at demonstration scale, we illustrate how increasing entropy significantly affects the difficulty of code breaking attempts. Our analysis compares classical and quantum computation techniques, providing visual representations of the exponential security benefits gained through higher entropy. While our experiments use simplified parameters (5 to 15 bit entropy) for educational clarity,
the principles demonstrated scale to production systems using industry standard key sizes. The findings have
significant implications for business leaders and investors evaluating cybersecurity technologies, particularly as quantum computing advances threaten traditional encryption methods. This research provides accessible evidence that high entropy randomness is a critical factor in maintaining robust cryptographic security, even as computational capabilities evolve.

https://preprint.camftl.com/2511.001

Regards

Caute_Cautim

[dcontesti]

Great write up.  Thanks.

[CarolBrown]

The main point is true: entropy is what really makes cryptography secure, not the algorithm itself. One thing that needs to be made clearer is the framing around quantum impact. Grover's algorithm only speeds things up by a factor of two, so entropy still scales linearly in effective security bits. That actually makes your conclusion stronger: even in a post-quantum model, doubling entropy is still very safe.

It is okay to use low-bit entropy as an example for teaching, but it would be helpful to directly link those results to symmetric keys (for example, why 128-bit entropy is still safe). The paper reiterates a lesson that many still overlook: insufficient randomness compromises cryptography far earlier than brute force methods.