Q-Day Is Coming: When Quantum Machines Break the Internet Overnight

Roger A. Grimes

Edwin Cartlidge

Quantum computers might one day be able to factor huge numbers or search vast databases, but when it comes to word-processing or accessing the internet, forget it. That is the conclusion of two US physicists, who have calculated the energy efficiency of a quantum computer and compared it with that of a traditional, classical machine. Julio Gea-Banacloche of the University of Arkansas and Laszlo Kish of Texas A&M University say that classical computers are far better at carrying out general-purpose tasks (Fluctuation and Noise Letters 3 C3).

Davide Castelvecchi

Tajdar Jawaid

One of the biggest concerns among cybersecurity professionals these days is the hype around quantum computing, its incomprehensible power, and its implications. The advancement in quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize our daily lives, but it can also completely break down the Internet as we know it. Mathematicians and physicists have developed algorithms based on quantum computing, which can change the Internet security paradigm. This article discusses quantum computing key concepts, with a special focus on quantum Internet, quantum key distribution, and related challenges.

Stephen Battersby

Fabio Cavaliere, Rana Pratap Sircar, Tommaso Catuogno