DATA PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

There is described an apparatus for generating a cryptographic key using data representative of an analogue source. The apparatus comprises a number generator which processes the data representative of the analogue source to generate an intermediate key, the intermediate key being a number, and a data store for storing a mapping key, the mapping key being a number predetermined to combine with the intermediate key in accordance with a monotonic mapping function to generate a desired cryptographic key. Preferably, the number generator processes the data representative of an analogue source in accordance with stored process data, determined by a training process, which indicates attributes of the data whose values are to be measured and adjustment data for adjusting the values to improve the repeatability of generation of the intermediate key.