In the future, quantum computing could enable malicious actors to break encryption keys quickly, rendering 64, 128, or 256-bit public key RSA algorithms obsolete. However, the same concept would allow organizations to build unbreakable defenses. Here’s a look at the key security risks associated with Quantum Computing and if there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
Described as a “gold rush,†money is now floodingOpens a new window to quantum computing mainstays and startups from investors convinced that this non-binary approach heralds the future of IT function.
So far, so good – proof-of-concept demonstrations have shown the potential of quantum computing, and some developers have shown limited real-world use for these not-quite-zero, not-quite-one options.
The challenge? Cybersecurity. As quantum technologies evolve, there’s concern that powered-up platforms could provide just what attackers need to break down security barriers and gain access to corporate networks.
But it’s not all bad news: With the right approach, businesses could leverage the power of quantum computing to create defenses capable of holding their own against empowered attackers.
What Exactly Is Quantum Computing?Â
At its most basic, this approach to computing goes beyond the binary basics of ones and zeros to offer increased computing power. It does so using quantum bits or qubits that are similar to classical computing bits in that they can exist in either a 0 or 1 state.
What sets them apart, however, is their ability to exist in multiple states at once. This concept is known as superposition and makes it possible for qubits to exist as 1, 0, or combinations of both. Qubits can also be “entangled†with one another, which creates a situation where changes in one qubit directly and immediately affect the other, no matter the distance.
If quantum computer manufacturers can harness the power of these qubits by keeping them stable and preventing what’s known as “destructive interference†— where the effects of one qubit unintentionally cancel out those of another — it may be possible for qubit-equipped devices to handle computational challengesOpens a new window that could take current supercomputers months or years to complete.
See More: What Is Quantum Computing? Working, Importance, and Uses
Potential Security Risks Associated With Quantum Computing
While quantum superposition offers substantial advantages, it also introduces potential security risks.
Here’s why: As noted by American ScientistOpens a new window , public key encryption is a staple of effective cybersecurity. While cracking these keys is possible, it’s incredibly time-consuming using standard computing techniques but could be the work of minutes for advanced quantum computers.
For example, while a team managed to break a 64-bit key in 2002, it took 300,000 people four and half years. A 128-bit key, meanwhile, would require trillions of years to break even using the world’s fastest supercomputers. Extending the length of the keys makes them even stronger — a 2,048-bit key is 617 decimal digits long and virtually uncrackable unless you’re using a quantum computer and Shor’s algorithm. In this case, key cracking takes just a few hours.
The good news? Quantum computers are nowhere near this level of processing power. Right now, the biggest numbers factored using qubits are just 4 bits long; to break a 2,048-bit key would require 100,000 times more power and error rates 100 times lower than current computers can produce.
Given that public key RSA algorithms that are largely 64, 128, or 256-bit safeguard the nearly $4 trillion eCommerce industry, there’s understandable concern among security professionals that quantum computing could render this type of encryption obsolete.
See More: 5 Things You Should Know About Quantum Computing
Building Bits for Better Security
Just as quantum computers could help crack encryption codes, organizations could also use them to augment existing security protocolsOpens a new window .
One potential application for qubits for cybersecurity is using quantum key distribution (QKD). This approach leverages what’s known as the “Observer Effect†to create a form of (theoretically) unbreakable transmission. Put simply, the observation of quantum operations can affect their outcome. Observers don’t need to be human: Any type of observing device or construct that measures a value can have a measurable impact. Consider the example of measuring air pressure in a bicycle tire. The act of measuring itself inevitably lets some of the air out of the tire, changing what would have been the original measurement.
QKD works on the same principle. A stream of photons encoded with a 1 or 0 is sent across a fiber optic connection to a recipient. When all the photons have been collected, their states can be decoded and the original message accessed.
If an attacker attempts to eavesdrop, however, the state of the photons is altered. This alteration can be detected by both sender and receiver, letting them know that their message has been compromised. The message itself is also rendered unreadable since the altered states make it impossible to reconstruct the message.
Right now, QKD is limited in distance to less than 100 kilometers, but satellite proof-of-concept suggests this could be expanded to several thousand kilometers over the next few years.
Securing the future
Ready or not, quantum computing is coming. And while it offers the potential for a massive jump in processing power, it also opens the door to potential security risks.
By the same token, however, quantum operations may offer a way to create new, unbreakable codes that automatically frustrate attacker efforts by making even cursory observation a cause for compromise failure.
Do you think quantum computing could eliminate the possibility of cyber attacks in the future? Let us know on LinkedInOpens a new window , Facebook,Opens a new window and TwitterOpens a new window . We would love to hear from you!