The Rise of Quantum Computing and What It Means for Your Security
Computers have only been around for about 70-80 years, emerging around the time of World War 2. Since then, computers have become an integral part of our society. Now there might be a new evolution of technology taking reign, quantum computing. What seemed like something out of a sci-fi movie is becoming very real very fast. This new kind of computer promises to be insanely powerful, able to solve problems that today’s machines can’t even touch. That’s exciting for lots of different fields, but it also brings a huge challenge for keeping our digital information safe.
Why? Because the math that keeps your online banking, emails, and passwords locked up tight might not stand a chance once quantum computers get going. We’re going to break down what quantum computing is, why it matters for cybersecurity, and what we can do to stay ahead of the game.
What is Quantum Computing?
You’re probably reading this on your phone or your computer at home; you can think of these devices as an organized librarian that reads and stores data in bits – which can either be a 0 or 1 but not both. This is how it processes data.
Quantum computers, on the other hand, use quantum bits, commonly known as qubits, which can either be 0, 1, or both at the same time – thanks to quantum physics called superposition. Superposition means that quantum systems can be in more than just one state. Another interesting thing about qubits, is that they can be entangled.
Qubits can be entangled, meaning the state of one instantly affects the other, no matter how far apart they are. This lets quantum computers crunch certain problems way faster than regular computers ever could.
What this all means is that quantum computers can solve super complex problems like breaking codes that current computers would struggle to solve.
Why Quantum Computers could be a problem for Cybersecurity
The internet uses encryption like TLS/SSL to secure websites to protect data while it’s traveling between you and the website. There’s also email, VPN, DNS, messaging, Data-at-rest encryption, and so forth, which are all designed to protect data. Some of the common encryption algorithms are AES, RSA, ECC, and SHA-3. You can think of these encryption algorithms like puzzles, puzzles that can be broken. Quantum computing allows these puzzles to be broken extremely fast though.
A famous quantum algorithm called Shor’s Algorithm, developed by mathematician Peter Shor in 1994, explains that once quantum machines are powerful enough, they could crack common encryption methods.
What would take thousands of years if not long for current computers to solve, would take quantum computers, once stable enough, only minutes to solve. This is due to quantum computers’ ability to work many possibilities at once from its superposition capability, which provides a tremendous boost at speed.
To read more about Quantum’s impact on encryption methods, click here.
Are we in Danger at present?
No. Quantum computers are still in their infancy. They can do some neat things, but they are not strong and stable enough to break modern encryption yet.
That said, companies like Google, IBM, and a bunch of research teams are moving fast. Some experts think we could have a fully functioning quantum computer capable of breaking encryption in 10 to 20 years. That coming day is known as Q-day.
The problem that we have now is hackers collecting and storing data that can’t be broken yet but could be later down the road. So, what we send securely today may not be private in the future.
Post-Quantum Cryptography
Due to the inevitable rise of quantum computing, researchers, governments, and cybersecurity pros have been working on something called post-quantum cryptography, PQC for short.
PQC is a new generation of encryption that is designed to survive a quantum attack. The PQC encryption, selected by NIST for standardization, are “three based on a family of math problems called structured lattices, while the fourth uses mathematical relationships known as hash functions.”
In 2022, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) picked a few algorithms to become the future standards for quantum-safe encryption. Some of the main ones include:
- CRYSTALS-Kyber (for locking up data)
- CRYSTALS-Dilithium, FALCON, and SPHINCS+ (for digital signatures)
These new tools are expected to roll out over the next few years. Big tech companies and governments are already testing them, so we’re not caught off guard when quantum computers go full beast mode.
So, what can we do right now?
- Stay Informed: Regularly read credible articles and publications to remain current on emerging threats and industry developments.
- Implement Strong Encryption: Ensure your data is protected using modern, robust encryption standards.
- Monitor Technological Advancements: Evaluate your systems for reliance on outdated or vulnerable encryption methods, especially if you manage IT infrastructure or run a business.
- Prepare for PQC Adoption: Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) will soon be integrated into mainstream software and security solutions. Begin planning for adoption to stay ahead of the curve.