Quantum Computers Breaking Encryption?
Referenced article: https://fortune.com/2019/09/20/google-claims-quantum-supremacy/
In what turns out to be a leaked paper that has not been peer-reviewed, Google has developed a 53-qubit quantum computer.
This is a big deal because quantum computers do certain kinds of tasks really well. Namely, brute-forcing encryption. If Google's 53-qubit system ends up being real, then it's a sizable advance over previous systems.
Right now, these systems are not a threat to our current encryption protocols used for crypto, banking, email servers, and so on. But eventually they will be.
I can't help but wonder if the BTC maximalists will split over this issue in the future where the Remainers insist on no changes to the protocol and the Leavers insist that they have to change with the times.
▶️ 3Speak
I don’t think there will be a dispute of any kind as to whether the hash function should be changed.
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People will fight about literally anything :)
Those who drag their feet will lose in a second.
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So my main question will be should this article be true that Google has developed a 53-qubit quantum computer that does sophisticated encryption, should people who derive privacy from normal encryption be really worried?
Not yet.
Most encryption is 256-bit these days. The point here is that the trend of quantum capabilities is catching up to encryption standards. So either standards need to change, or some other methodology needs to be developed.
Wow either Standards or a newer sort of methodology, the capacities is catching up at a more faster rate, with your reply here I think all we need now is to watch and see how it turns out before making our choice of standards or methodology.
Amazing content by the way, it seems it's your first video?
My 2nd on 3speak. I have hundreds on dtube and youtube
Me too, I'm a regular on dtube as well, I'll be looking forward to seeing more from you on 3speak
Technology based on fancy lithographic processes getting better and better (traditional computing) can experience exponential improvement. I'm not sure that translates to these systems.
Also, did the article really claim they use brute-force? I know the fortune paper appears to make this claim:
But the question is, did they use brute force? Or did thy use some trick in the quantum algorithm (and not exactly brute force)?
The ultimate brute force application, that has yet to be demonstrated, is to have a quantum computer try 10308 (or similarly large maximum) in a short time.
I am not aware of any quantum computer doing this. The precise problems they solve are often overstated.
We will have to wait for the paper to be published to see what it actually says. Fortune here apparently got a scoop. But we all know that often these turn out to be inaccurate.
The thing about increasing qubits is that it turns an exponential increase in difficulty into a linear one. But like you say, if it works.
We'll see.
So far, a quantum optimizing Shor's Algorithm is the main thing to watch out for. The "guess if the number works" method, also known as brute force, isn't the most optimized method at the moment.
You can also find my discussion in that video's comments.