What is Quantum Computing?
Let me briefly explain what quantum computing is, and why everyone is so concerned with it. Quantum computing isn't the next level computer, in fact, it is quite limited. It is only good at certain tasks, but math is one of them. Cryptography foundation is built on math, prime numbers specifically.
Quantum computing allows for a computer to represent a state other than on/off or 0 or 1. In fact, it can represent multiple states at the same time. The reasoning behind it is very complicated, but it allows quantum computing to compute math functions extremely quick. This will trivialize cracking modern encryption methods.
Let's put this in perspective, if you were to attempt to crack 2048 bit RSA encryption, it would take you around 300 trillion years with the top computing hardware currenlty available to mankind. That same encryption could be broken in just over 100 days with a quantum computer potentially available in the next 10 years. Google and IBM both want to have quantum computers beyond this level within 10 years.
So why is it a threat today?
We take encryption for granted and have so for over 40 years. We trust it so much we leave our data everywhere in encrypted form. While this is considered safe for even goverment level data, it may not be in 10 years. The thing is though, large organizations and state actors can (and are currently) collect highly valued encrypted data now, and decrypt it in the future. Much of this data would still be critical in 10 year time.
Many companies and countries are putting billions into developing quantum computing. It has been assumed by many that countries are collecting encrypted data to SNDL (Store Now Decrypt Later). This can be used to infiltrate other countries or even their own citizens.
Unfortunately, there is little that can be done to protect yourself against this. A lot of times it is completely out of your hands are you are dependant on third parties to protect your data (for example your bank).
Blockchains will be a big target when quantum computing arrives. Everyone is aware of this and most of them are already working on methods to protect against this.
Post quantum encryption
Encryption is safe because largely because of how difficult is to compute very large numbers used by modern cryptography. Quantum computers won't have this difficulty, and we will need other ways to protect data. While these methods use very complex theories and not something I can easily explain, many organizations are hard at work to release new encryption techniques that use something other than large prime numbers.
Posted Using InLeo Alpha
