The head of MI6 has warned that quantum computing could lead to increased security threats.

In a public speech, MI6 Director Moore warne that the digital attack surface against us that criminals, terrorists and hostile nation states seek to exploit is growing exponentially due to technological advances in artificial intelligence and quantum computing. We can fully understand this, as the Internet as we know it relies on encryption: confidential communications, financial transactions, critical infrastructure – if encryption can be broken, all of this is at risk. We at Tutanota have taken up the challenge to implement quantum-proof encryption before quantum computers become a reality.

Quantum computing

While quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize society, it also poses a threat to our current networke infrastructure.

Quantum computing is a threat

MI6 chief Andrew Moore warne : “Our adversaries are pouring money and ambition into mastering artificial intelligence, quantum computing and synthetic biology because they know that mastering these technologies will give them leverage.”

He said China, Russia and Iran are the most significant nation-state threats that can exploit technology to achieve their goals. As an example, he pointe to the SolarWinds cyberattack , which was attributed to Russian foreign intelligence.

But why is quantum computing so dangerous?

Nerd in Computers

A qubit can take on all values ​​between 0 and 1. It can therefore act on countless levels simultaneously, which is what fascinates physicists. If they can connect hundres of qubits together, they will create a quantum computer. It will be the nerd among computers: with special talents and increible computing power.

Super GAU for online communication

Quantum computing will transform Betting Data  information technology in ways we have never seen before. Past research has produce various quantum algorithms, known as Shor’s algorithms , to efficiently solve a variety of problems that were previously thought to be too difficult to solve in a reasonable amount of time.

As a result, the asymmetric cryptosystems widely use today (RSA, (EC)DSA and (EC)DH) are base on variants of only two mathematical problems that, unfortunately, can be solve much faster by quantum computers: the integer factorization problem and the discrete logarithm problem.

The experts were stunne. Shor’s algorithm threatene the ultimate victory of code breakers over code tinkerers. Quantum computers would have the potential to decipher the most secure communications on Earth.

The race is on to create new ways to protect data and communications against the threat pose by large-scale, general-purpose quantum computers.

The future of cryptography in the era of quantum computing

The development and deployment of post-quantum cryptography is urgent. Even though quantum computers capable of breaking the cryptographic systems we use today may not become a reality in the short term, experience shows that it takes a Argentina Phone Number List  lot of time to roll out new cryptographic standards. New algorithms must be carefully evaluate. Their security must be proven by intensive cryptanalysis, and efficient implementations must be found.

For example, although elliptic curve cryptography was first propose in the late 1980s. It was only adapte for large-scale use a few years ago.

The deployment of post-quantum cryptography should procee as quickly as possible—not only to be ready for when large-scale general-purpose quantum computers become a reality, but also to protect data currently encrypted with standard algorithms from being decrypte in the future.

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