The Quantum Codebreaker

Hafiz Md. Hasan Babu

Martin Roetteler, Krysta M. Svore

We survey recent developments in quantum algorithms, focusing on resource estimates for breaking cryptographic protocols on a quantum computer, which in turn can be used to derive quantum security parameters for various schemes. We contrast these cryptographic applications with applications based on a quantum computer’s supreme ability to efficiently simulate other quantum mechanical systems.

Jacob Aron

Alan Turing and an army of codebreakers took years to crack the Enigma code during the second world war. Just be thankful the Nazis weren't using a quantum Enigma machine. Quantum key distribution can already keep secret the key to a code. Enigma machines are like souped-up typewriters, with an illuminated panel above the keyboard that also displays the alphabet. Type in a letter and a different letter on the panel lights up, indicating how to encrypt that character. Wired rotors do the scrambling by guiding an electrical signal along a certain path.

Hafiz Md. Hasan Babu

Koen Groenland

The impact on cybersecurityIn the world of quantum computers, the most convincing exponential speedup lies in codebreaking.Anyone who wants to understand the impact of quantum computers must know the basics of cryptography.Let's start at the beginning.The PQC Migration Handbook is a free guide for corporate managers on how to tackle the upcoming cryptography migration, written by dutch research organisations tno, CWI, and the secret service aIvd.In the context of harvest now, decrypt later, the urgency to migrate depends on how long your data should remain confidential, according to mosca's theorem.

Barry R. Clarke