Quantum computing will drive changes in encryption and security approaches.
Quantum computing has been around for a while now, with the first prototype and commercial machines hitting the market more than a decade ago. But now, thanks to rapid advances in quantum computing approaches, the time has arrived for companies to begin to prepare for the impact of quantum computing on application encryption technologies.
What is Quantum Computing?
To understand quantum computing, we start by recalling its predecessor. Traditional computing encodes data via binary digits (bits) where each bit is encoded as a 0 or 1, and multiple bits are strung together to encode ever-more-complex data structures. However, the building block – the bit – is in one of two states. It is either in a 0 state or a 1 state. The block next to it is in a 0 state or 1 state, and it’s the sequence of eight single-state bits that comprises a byte. A different sequence of eight bits means a different byte, and the more unique eight-bit sequences required to encode data, the larger the number of bytes required.
A quantum bit, or qubit, is a bit in a quantum state. So instead of being in a 1 state or a 0 state, it can be in either. So a qubit has more storage that a classic bit, and the greater volume of information stored in that bit can exist in multiple states at the same time. This allows a quantum computer to conduct large numbers of simultaneous calculations, drastically increasing computing capability compared to binary computers. Quantum computing also offers the potential for exponential growth in processing power as more qubits are added to a quantum computer. (See Wikipedia’s quantum computing entry for a more thorough discussion of the physics of quantum computing.)
Threats to Encryption
Continue reading at nojitter.com.
