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NishMath - #encryption
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@quantumcomputingreport.com
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The rapid advancement of quantum computing poses a significant threat to current encryption methods, particularly RSA, which secures much of today's internet communication. Google's recent breakthroughs have redefined the landscape of cryptographic security, with researchers like Craig Gidney significantly lowering the estimated quantum resources needed to break RSA-2048. A new study indicates that RSA-2048 could be cracked in under a week using fewer than 1 million noisy qubits, a dramatic reduction from previous estimates of around 20 million qubits and eight hours of computation. This shift accelerates the timeline for "Q-Day," the hypothetical moment when quantum computers can break modern encryption, impacting everything from email to financial transactions.
This vulnerability stems from the ability of quantum computers to utilize Shor's algorithm for factoring large numbers, a task prohibitively difficult for classical computers. Google's innovation involves several technical advancements, including approximate residue arithmetic, magic state cultivation, optimized period finding with Ekerå-Håstad algorithms, and yoked surface codes with sparse lookups. These improvements streamline modular arithmetic, reduce the depth of quantum circuits, and minimize overhead in fault-tolerant quantum circuits, collectively reducing the physical qubit requirement to under 1 million while maintaining a relatively short computation time. In response to this threat, post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is gaining momentum. PQC refers to cryptographic algorithms designed to be secure against both classical and quantum attacks. NIST has already announced the first set of quantum-safe algorithms for standardization, including FrodoKEM, a key encapsulation protocol offering a simple design and strong security guarantees. The urgency of transitioning to quantum-resistant cryptographic systems is underscored by ongoing advances in quantum computing. While the digital world relies on encryption, the evolution to AI and quantum computing is challenging the security. Professionals who understand both cybersecurity and artificial intelligence will be the leaders in adapting to these challenges. Recommended read:
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@www.microsoft.com
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Microsoft is taking a proactive approach to future cybersecurity threats by integrating post-quantum cryptography (PQC) into its Windows and Linux systems. This move is designed to protect against the potential for quantum computers to break current encryption methods like RSA, which secure online communications, banking transactions, and sensitive data. Quantum computers, leveraging quantum mechanics, can solve complex problems far faster than classical computers, posing a significant threat to existing cryptographic schemes. Microsoft's initiative aims to safeguard data from a "harvest now, decrypt later" scenario, where hackers steal encrypted data today with the intent of decrypting it once quantum technology becomes advanced enough.
Microsoft's PQC implementation includes the addition of two key algorithms: ML-KEM (Module Lattice-Based Key Encapsulation Mechanism) and ML-DSA (Module Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm). ML-KEM, also known as CRYSTALS-Kyber, secures key exchanges and prevents attacks by protecting the start of secure connections. ML-DSA, formerly CRYSTALS-Dilithium, ensures data integrity and authenticity through digital signatures. These algorithms are being introduced in Windows Insider builds (Canary Build 27852+) and Linux via SymCrypt-OpenSSL v1.9.0, allowing developers and organizations to begin testing and preparing for a quantum-secure future. This update to Windows 11 is a critical step in what Microsoft views as a major technological transition. By making quantum-resistant algorithms available through SymCrypt, the core cryptographic code library in Windows, and updating SymCrypt-OpenSSL, Microsoft is enabling the widely used OpenSSL library to leverage SymCrypt for cryptographic operations. The new algorithms, selected by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), represent a move towards replacing vulnerable cryptosystems like RSA and elliptic curves. This signifies a broader effort to bolster cybersecurity against the emerging threat of quantum computing. Recommended read:
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Siôn Geschwindt@The Next Web
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References:
The Next Web
, medium.com
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Quantum computing is rapidly advancing, presenting both opportunities and challenges. Researchers at Toshiba Europe have achieved a significant milestone by transmitting quantum-encrypted messages over a record distance of 254km using standard fiber optic cables. This breakthrough, facilitated by quantum key distribution (QKD) cryptography, marks the first instance of coherent quantum communication via existing telecom infrastructure. QKD leverages the principles of quantum mechanics to securely share encryption keys, making eavesdropping virtually impossible, as any attempt to intercept the message would immediately alert both parties involved.
This advance addresses growing concerns among European IT professionals, with 67% fearing that quantum computing could compromise current encryption standards. Unlike classical computers, which would take an impractical amount of time to break modern encryption, quantum computers can exploit phenomena like superposition and entanglement to potentially crack even the most secure classical encryptions within minutes. This has prompted global governments and organizations to accelerate the development of robust cryptographic algorithms capable of withstanding quantum attacks. Efforts are underway to build quantum-secure communication infrastructure. Heriot-Watt University recently inaugurated a £2.5 million Optical Ground Station (HOGS) to promote satellite-based quantum-secure communication. In July 2024, Toshiba Europe, GÉANT, PSNC, and Anglia Ruskin University demonstrated cryogenics-free QKD over a 254 km fiber link, using standard telecom racks and room temperature detectors. Initiatives such as Europe’s EuroQCI and ESA’s Eagle-1 satellite further underscore the commitment to developing and deploying quantum-resistant technologies, mitigating the silent threat that quantum computing poses to cybersecurity. Recommended read:
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@thequantuminsider.com
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Project Eleven has launched the QDay Prize, an open competition offering one Bitcoin, currently valued around $84,000 to $85,000, to anyone who can break elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) using Shor’s algorithm on a quantum computer. This initiative aims to evaluate the proximity of quantum computing to undermining ECC, a widely used encryption scheme. Participants must demonstrate the ability to break ECC using Shor's algorithm, without classical shortcuts or hybrid methods and submissions must include gate-level code and system specifications, all made publicly available for transparency.
The competition is structured around progressively larger ECC key sizes, starting from 1-bit keys, with an emphasis on demonstrating generalizable techniques that can scale to full cryptographic key lengths. The challenge, running until April 5, 2026, seeks to rigorously benchmark the real-world quantum threat to Bitcoin’s core security system. Project Eleven emphasizes that even successful attacks on small keys would be significant milestones, offering valuable insights into the security risks in modern cryptographic systems. Participants can use publicly accessible quantum hardware or private systems, and are expected to handle error-prone qubit environments realistically, given current hardware fidelities. Breaking even a few bits of a private key would be considered a significant achievement, according to Project Eleven. The QDay Prize hopes to establish a verifiable and open marker of when practical quantum attacks against widely used encryption systems may emerge, highlighting the urgency of understanding how close current technologies are to threatening ECC security. Recommended read:
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Siôn Geschwindt@The Next Web
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Quantum computing is rapidly advancing, and its potential impact on encryption security is becoming a major concern. Classical encryption methods, such as RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), rely on mathematical problems that are difficult for traditional computers to solve. However, quantum algorithms, particularly Shor’s algorithm, threaten to break these systems. Shor's algorithm can efficiently factor large integers, which is the foundation of RSA, and solve the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem (ECDLP), which underpins ECC. Project Eleven has even launched the Q-Day Prize, offering 1 Bitcoin to anyone who can crack a Bitcoin private key using Shor’s algorithm on a quantum computer, underscoring the urgency of addressing this threat.
The vulnerability of current cryptographic methods has spurred research into post-quantum cryptography (PQC). PQC focuses on developing encryption algorithms that are resistant to attacks from both classical and quantum computers. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has already published its first set of post-quantum standards in August 2024, including algorithms like ML-KEM (Kyber) for key encapsulation and ML-DSA (Dilithium) for digital signatures. These standards are intended to be integrated into software and systems over the coming years, with the NSA’s Commercial National Security Algorithm Suite (CNSA 2.0) mandating their use in certain applications by 2030. While commercially viable quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption are still under development, the pace of progress is accelerating. IBM and Google are among the companies racing to build larger and more powerful quantum processors. Experts estimate that a quantum computer with around 20 million physical qubits (approximately 6,000 logical qubits) could factor a 2048-bit RSA modulus in a matter of hours. This has led to a "harvest-now, decrypt-later" strategy, where adversaries collect encrypted data with the intention of decrypting it once quantum computers become powerful enough. The transition to quantum-resistant cryptography is now considered an engineering problem, requiring careful planning and implementation across various systems and infrastructures. Recommended read:
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@The Cryptography Caffe? ?
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The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has released a roadmap for transitioning to post-quantum cryptography (PQC), establishing key dates for organizations to assess risks, define strategies, and fully transition by 2035. This initiative aims to mitigate the future threat of quantum computers, which could potentially break today's widely used encryption methods. The NCSC’s guidance recognizes that PQC migration is a complex and lengthy process requiring significant planning and investment.
By 2028, organizations are expected to complete a discovery phase, identifying systems and services reliant on cryptography that need upgrades, and draft a migration plan. High-priority migration activities should be completed by 2031, with infrastructure prepared for a full transition. The NCSC emphasizes that these steps are essential for addressing quantum threats and improving overall cyber resilience. Ali El Kaafarani, CEO of PQShield, noted that these timelines give clear instructions to protect the UK’s digital future. Researchers have also introduced ZKPyTorch, a compiler that integrates ML frameworks with ZKP engines to simplify the development of zero-knowledge machine learning (ZKML). ZKPyTorch automates the translation of ML operations into optimized ZKP circuits and improves proof generation efficiency. Through case studies, ZKPyTorch successfully converted VGG-16 and Llama-3 models into ZKP-compatible circuits. Recommended read:
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