The end of encryption
Right now, scientists at Google, IBM, Microsoft and other companies are working on quantum computers, aiming to harness the quirky weirdness of quantum mechanics to revolutionize computer processors. Google claims that its current quantum computer prototypes are over 100 million times faster than traditional computers. Given the potential, companies and governments are watching with rapt attention. And so, unfortunately, are cyber criminals.
In fact, Google and other thought leaders warn of an impending quantum apocalypse, a scenario in which many of our current cybersecurity technologies will become utterly obsolete. Quantum computers might allow scientists to more easily work at the nano and atomic scales and could turbocharge artificial intelligence, vastly increasing its capabilities. However, these computers will also likely render our current encryption protocols useless, potentially exposing vast quantities of data to cybercriminal groups.
Much of the sensitive digital data stored today is encrypted — you can't read the data unless you know how to decrypt it. Most in-use encryption methods use cryptographic algorithms to obfuscate the data. If you can solve the cryptographic algorithms, you'll be able to decrypt all the data. There's just one challenge: With current computers, it would take billions of years to solve the algorithms.
But with quantum computers, cryptographic algorithms might be broken in mere seconds. Cybercriminal groups have been hoarding encrypted data, a practice called "steal now, crack later," waiting for quantum computers to progress from theory to practice. Quite simply, if these fraudsters get their hands on a working quantum computer, they might be able to quickly decrypt and harvest all of that data, including corporate and military secrets.
