Experts Quantum computing They have known for several years that quantum computers will end classical cryptography. One of them, Juan José García Ripoll, a researcher at the Institute of Fundamental Physics of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) who develops his research activity within the quantum information group and foundations of quantum theory, He warned us During the conversation we had with him in October 2019. That moment arrived in May 2024.
A team of researchers from the University of Shanghai (China) led by Professor Wang Chao used a D-Wave quantum computer for I successfully violate the SPN encryption (Substitation-Permutation Network), which is a cryptographic algorithm that is used to encrypt information. This encryption is the cornerstone of, for example, the AES standard (Advanced Encryption Standard), which is used a lot. These scientists published the result of their research in An interesting article entitled “Public Cryptographic Attack Algorithm based on quantum processing with the advantage of D-Wave”.
Interestingly, Professor Wang Chao and his team used two strategies to carry out their attack on cryptographic algorithms. The first one consists of broad strokes to deliver to the quantum computer the combination of an optimization problem and another search. Quantum machines are very effective when solving these challenges. And the second strategy consists in combining Schnorr’s algorithm, Babai rounding and a quantum method of optimization. In any case, the most interesting thing is that these Chinese scientists concluded that AES-256 and other military degree encryption algorithms are closer than ever to be violated.
Google says that quantum machines will break the encryption of cryptocurrencies
During my conversation with Juan José García Ripoll I did not let the opportunity to ask what would happen when quantum computers were able to violate the most advanced encryption technologies we currently use. “In principle, quantum computers will make the encryption algorithms that we use. For this reason there is a research area in mathematics and cryptography: cryptography resistant to quantum computers. It is a very difficult field of work. The alternative to the fact that many codes can break with quantum computers is to use quantum systems for cryptography,” Ripoll holds.
An RSA integer of 2,048 bits can be factor in less than a week with a quantum computer of less than one million cubits
The course of time has proved him right. And it is that several Google researchers less than a week ago They published an entry In the blog dedicated to the security of this American company in which they support a crucial premise: an integer RSA (Rivest – Shamir – Adleman) of 2,048 bits can factor in less than a week with a quantum computer of less than one million cubits. One of the most advanced quantum processors that currently exist, IBM Condor Chipagglutina 1,121 superconductor cubits, so it is evident that we still do not have quantum machines with the necessary power to violate RSA encryption.
However, they could be ready before we suspect. The quantum machine described by Google researchers use noisy cubits, and IBM’s official itinerary argues that ‘Starling’, its first quantum hardware endowed with the ability to correct their own mistakes, It will arrive in 2029. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and the other modern cryptocurrencies use a cryptography technique known as elliptical curve that is more robust, efficient and difficult to break than RSA, but its mathematical foundations are similar to those of the latter encryption algorithm.
In fact, according to Google scientists signed by the article that I have mentioned above, if the future quantum computers will cost them less than initially breaking the RSA encryption, the cryptography of elliptical curve will also fall with relative ease. It is still not clear What capabilities will have to have quantum machines which will be able to violate this encryption technique, but According to a research group from Kent University (United Kingdom), Bitcoin can update the encryption of the entire network without “turning it off” in approximately ten months.
Image | IBM
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