The notion that quantum computing will make encryption useless anytime in the near future is a wild fantasy.
Yes, the potential exists that a fully realized version of quantum computing might do this. If such a thing actually ends up existing anytime soon. That is a big if. Right now we’re still very much in the “Working out if this is even feasible” stage.
Even if fully realized quantum computers become a thing, and do all the things we want them to do, we’ll be decades away from having enough of them to be able to apply quantum compute time to any random conversation on the off chance it contains something important. That’s like fishing by hocking gold bars into the ocean in the hopes that one of them hits a fish on the way down.
It doesn’t really matter that it’s still a long time away, once it arrives all previous messages could potentially be decrypted.
Messages can be intercepted and stored, and I would bet a lot that an organization like the NSA does this.
Feels to me like it’s more of a better be safe them sorry thing.
Also getting tired of people associating the word “quantum” with futuristic or extremely advanced, thinking somehow they will supercharge AI or something.
All it means is the idea that everything is discrete packets of energy, or “quanta”, existing in various fields. It’s a mathematical model to describe what we see. That’s it.
In the case of quantum computing, there is a real meaning to it (in really vague terms, its computing using the suoerposition of quantum states to complex extraordinarily complex problems down to a single answer). The problem rather is that right now companies are eagerly hyping this tech as being “just around the corner” when it’s nothing of the sort (unless a bunch of massive breakthroughs suddenly turn up).
The notion that quantum computing will make encryption useless anytime in the near future is a wild fantasy.
Yes, the potential exists that a fully realized version of quantum computing might do this. If such a thing actually ends up existing anytime soon. That is a big if. Right now we’re still very much in the “Working out if this is even feasible” stage.
Even if fully realized quantum computers become a thing, and do all the things we want them to do, we’ll be decades away from having enough of them to be able to apply quantum compute time to any random conversation on the off chance it contains something important. That’s like fishing by hocking gold bars into the ocean in the hopes that one of them hits a fish on the way down.
It doesn’t really matter that it’s still a long time away, once it arrives all previous messages could potentially be decrypted. Messages can be intercepted and stored, and I would bet a lot that an organization like the NSA does this. Feels to me like it’s more of a better be safe them sorry thing.
Even if it takes 100+ years for quantum cryptanalysis to become viable I would rather we start switching over to better algorithms now.
Also getting tired of people associating the word “quantum” with futuristic or extremely advanced, thinking somehow they will supercharge AI or something.
All it means is the idea that everything is discrete packets of energy, or “quanta”, existing in various fields. It’s a mathematical model to describe what we see. That’s it.
In the case of quantum computing, there is a real meaning to it (in really vague terms, its computing using the suoerposition of quantum states to complex extraordinarily complex problems down to a single answer). The problem rather is that right now companies are eagerly hyping this tech as being “just around the corner” when it’s nothing of the sort (unless a bunch of massive breakthroughs suddenly turn up).
I think that’s enough to be honest because reality exists only when we look at it.