Quantum Computers: The Future of Computing or a Cryptographic Apocalypse?
This month has been incredibly exciting for enthusiasts closely following the developments in quantum computing . Xanadu, a young Canadian company founded in 2016, has announced plans to develop a photonic quantum computer with one million qubits and error correction capabilities by 2030. However, Xanadu is not the only company aspiring to achieve this milestone. IBM aims to make ‘Starling’, its first large-scale quantum computer equipped with the ability to mend its own errors, available to clients by 2029.
The primary challenge faced by quantum computers regarding error correction is noise , which refers to disturbances that can alter a qubit’s internal state and introduce calculation errors. If error correction is successfully implemented, the current prototypes of quantum computers could leave behind their experimental phase and tackle genuinely significant problems. And it is perhaps likely that the encryption of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies will falter.
We Are Facing a Serious Challenge
Experts in quantum computing have been aware for several years that quantum computers will eventually challenge classical cryptography . That moment occurred in May 2024, when a research team from Shanghai University in China, led by Professor Wang Chao , successfully used a D-Wave quantum computer to breach the SPN (Substitution-Permutation Network) encryption algorithm, a widely used cryptographic technique.
This encryption is the cornerstone of the AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) , heavily utilized in various sectors. The scientists published their research in an intriguing paper titled, “Cryptographic Attack Algorithm Based on Quantum Processing“. However, this isn’t the end of the story. Furthermore, in mid-May, several researchers from Google published a pivotal blog post on the company’s security blog, stating that a 2048-bit RSA (Rivest–Shamir–Adleman) integer can be factored in less than one week using a quantum computer with fewer than a million qubits.
A 2048-bit RSA integer can be factored in under a week using a quantum computer with less than a million qubits.
Modern cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin , Ethereum , and Solana employ a cryptographic technique known as elliptic curve cryptography , which is more robust, efficient, and harder to break than RSA. However, its mathematical foundations are similar to those of the latter encryption algorithm. In light of this, Google scientists assert that if future quantum computers can factor RSA encryption more easily than anticipated, elliptic curve cryptography may also fall with relative ease.
So far, we have focused on cryptocurrencies, but we must not overlook that encryption technologies play a crucial role in our daily lives. Applications include messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram , which use encryption to secure our messages; banks rely on encryption to protect transactions , and online purchases involve encryption to safeguard our credit card information. These are just a few examples of encryption’s vast array of applications.
Keith Martin , a professor in the Information Security Group at the University of London, recently published an insightful article in The Conversation. He emphasizes that while the threat of quantum computers to encryption technologies is indeed real, there is no need for panic; many researchers have been diligently working on solutions for this challenge. In fact, significant theoretical groundwork has already been laid.
In 2024, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States released an initial set of standards that includes a post-quantum key exchange mechanism and several post-quantum digital signature schemes. The progress made so far suggests that when relevant quantum computers appear on the scene, technologies capable of protecting our information will be well-prepared. Moreover, it is likely that these techniques will also be accessible to quantum computers, as asserted by Juan José García Ripoll , a researcher at the Institute of Fundamental Physics of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) .
Image | IBM
More information | The Conversation
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