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New research shows that significantly fewer quantum bits may be sufficient.
Today's most advanced quantum computers have around 1,000 so-called physical qubits, but a sudden breakthrough could lead to a huge leap in the number of working qubits. This has led researchers to worry about how soon a quantum computer that can run Shor's algorithm and break asymmetric cryptography such as RSA and various variants of elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) could become a reality.
How many quantum bits are required to do this is not exactly known, and new research shows that significantly fewer than previously thought may be sufficient, reports Techspot .
A study conducted at Caltech and the University of California shows that 10,000 atomic quantum bits may be enough to find an RSA key – half as many as previous calculations have found. This is a less common, shorter key. To crack a 2,048-bit RSA key, the researchers calculate that a quantum computer with 26,000 physical quantum bits needs around seven months, while a 256-bit ECC key can be found in 10 days.
That may seem impractically slow considering the number of cryptographic keys generated and used every day by every internet user, but a single cracked key could cause significant damage. Both Bitcoin and Ethereum, for example, are based on elliptic curves using the ECDSA algorithm, and a quantum computer that can empty 50 Bitcoin or Ether accounts a year could lead to a collapse of the cryptocurrencies as investors flee.
Researchers at Google have also published a new report on the subject, and estimate that a practical quantum computer with 1,200 to 1,450 logical qubits (less than half a million physical qubits) could be enough to crack 256-bit ECC in “minutes.” The current record is 48 logical qubits, so it will likely take a few years, but the company is signaling that all secure systems should invest in upgrading to new, so-called quantum-safe algorithms by 2029.
Source: https://www.techspot.com/news/111913-quantum-computers-might-crack-today-encryption-far-sooner.html
Today's most advanced quantum computers have around 1,000 so-called physical qubits, but a sudden breakthrough could lead to a huge leap in the number of working qubits. This has led researchers to worry about how soon a quantum computer that can run Shor's algorithm and break asymmetric cryptography such as RSA and various variants of elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) could become a reality.
How many quantum bits are required to do this is not exactly known, and new research shows that significantly fewer than previously thought may be sufficient, reports Techspot .
A study conducted at Caltech and the University of California shows that 10,000 atomic quantum bits may be enough to find an RSA key – half as many as previous calculations have found. This is a less common, shorter key. To crack a 2,048-bit RSA key, the researchers calculate that a quantum computer with 26,000 physical quantum bits needs around seven months, while a 256-bit ECC key can be found in 10 days.
That may seem impractically slow considering the number of cryptographic keys generated and used every day by every internet user, but a single cracked key could cause significant damage. Both Bitcoin and Ethereum, for example, are based on elliptic curves using the ECDSA algorithm, and a quantum computer that can empty 50 Bitcoin or Ether accounts a year could lead to a collapse of the cryptocurrencies as investors flee.
Researchers at Google have also published a new report on the subject, and estimate that a practical quantum computer with 1,200 to 1,450 logical qubits (less than half a million physical qubits) could be enough to crack 256-bit ECC in “minutes.” The current record is 48 logical qubits, so it will likely take a few years, but the company is signaling that all secure systems should invest in upgrading to new, so-called quantum-safe algorithms by 2029.
Source: https://www.techspot.com/news/111913-quantum-computers-might-crack-today-encryption-far-sooner.html
