Quantum Computing in Cyber Security — the Quantum threat
We live in a world that is undergoing various changes that can be tiny but making major effects on every living being. Changes are inevitable and in Tech-industry, change is a necessity. Technology, being one of the major industries that hold the world at balance is also the game changer in many cases. In this article let’s focus on such a major technological change, Quantum computing with regards to Cyber Security.
Quantum Computing and its features
Quantum Computing, is the concept behind quantum computers performing computations using qubits (quantum bits) at a higher processing level and more effectively than traditional computers. For a brief introduction check out ‘Quantum computing and its evolution’. The exponential increase in computation capabilities with the use of quantum computers can impact this world in a very different manner. Providing various incremental inventions that are advantageous to the world in sectors such as Medicine would be of great help. At the same time, the higher processing capacity can also build up a security threat.
U.S Intelligence officials have also mentioned Quantum Computing as one of the five technologies that needs to be protected in order to maintain the super power.
The Quantum Threat
Traditional encryptions such as RSA, AES, DH algorithms use hard math problems similar to large prime number factorization to implement the security features. This can be hard and would take a huge amount of time to reverse the process using traditional computers. And also makes the realization of the public and private keys hard, protecting the data encryptions. The motivation behind quantum computers itself is solving such hard math problems more efficiently. Therefore, this process reversal can be easily done using quantum computers within a lesser time. Thus, developing the Quantum threat towards our security methods followed at present.
Two of such quantum algorithms that can impact to the public key encryption methods are given below.
Shor’s algorithm
Using this quantum method and with the help of more efficient quantum computers, very long public key pairs used by the asymmetric algorithms can be cracked within hours. Because Shor’s algorithm is capable of reducing the exponential runtime for factoring using traditional methods to a polynomial runtime.
Grover’s algorithm
This is a quantum method designed to perform efficient searching on an unsorted database that gives a quadratic increase in efficiency compared to the classical linear search. This can be used for optimized brute force attacks.
It is a clear fact that a completely efficient quantum computer is needed to perform the algorithms to crack the keys with a longer length. But it is also visible that once such an efficient machine is constructed then it’ll only be a matter of time to crack the keys.
Y2Q
Y2Q (Years to Quantum) is being estimated by various surveys and studies throughout the globe and we can never be sure of the exact time. Y2Q denotes the countdown to the year when quantum computers will achieve the strength and efficiency to break all the current traditional security measures exposing the digital world to a wide threat.
“On April 14, 2030 CSA estimates that a quantum computer will be able to break present-day cybersecurity infrastructure”
- CSA (Cloud Security Alliance)
Even though it is unknown when the Quantum threat will be exposed, it is always better to prepare the world for uncertainty and build up precautionary methods. One of the main reasons for this is that the hackers may already be using the SNDL (Steal Now Decrypt Later) or HNDL (Harvest Now Decrypt Later) technique which can allow them to crack the encrypted data already collected once they get the hold of an efficient Quantum computer.
Conclusion
In this technological era, any development can have advantages as well as disadvantages and it all depends on the user and the purpose of its usage. We may not be able to stop the Y2Q from approaching or stop the Quantum threat but, there can always be precautionary methods. Knowing these precautionary methods and adopting to it as early as possible would reduce the effect of the Quantum threat. Stay tuned for the next update on the Quantum solutions.
