(1) (
Intelligent
Forms
Processing) Using advanced techniques to scan documents and determine their data content. See
ICR.
(2) (
Integer
Factorization
Problem) The difficulty of finding prime numbers in an encryption key. The public key in RSA encryption is derived by multiplying two large prime numbers together. To date, there is no efficient algorithm running on a traditional computer (non-quantum computer) that can factor such numbers from the key, thus enabling the RSA method to survive as long as the keys keep getting larger to stay ahead of ever-increasing computing power. See
RSA and
quantum secure.
In 2002, Indian scientist Manindra Agrawal discovered a faster way to determine prime numbers, and the press had a field day predicting the end to Internet encryption. In fact, determining prime numbers does not help in factoring the two primes that make up the key.