Quantum computing has remained on the cusp of a technology revolution for the better part of the last decade. However, the promised breakthrough still doesn’t seem any closer than it was a few years ago. Meanwhile, even as the investments keep flowing in, experts are raising uncomfortable questions about whether it represents the end of online privacy as we know it. So what is quantum computing, how does it differ from traditional computers, and why are researchers ringing the alarm bell about it? We will try to answer all those questions today.

While present-day quantum computers have given us a glimpse of what the technology is capable of, it has still not reached anywhere near its peak potential. Still, it is the promise of unbridled power that is raising the hackles of cybersecurity professionals. Today, we’ll learn more about those concerns and the steps being taken by researchers to address them. So without further ado, let’s check out what are quantum computers, how they work, and what researchers are doing to ensure that they won’t be the security nightmares.

  • What is Quantum Computing?
  • Difference Between Quantum Computers and Traditional Computers
  • Potential Applications of Quantum Computing
  • Is Quantum Computing the End of Digital Privacy?
  • Challenges Preventing a Quantum Revolution
  • Powerful Quantum Computers You Should Know About

What is Quantum Computing?

Quantum computers are machines that use the properties of quantum mechanics, like superposition and entanglement, to solve complex problems. They typically deliver massive amounts of processing power that’s an order of magnitude higher than even the biggest and most powerful modern supercomputers. This allows them to solve certain computational problems, such as integer factorization, substantially faster than regular computers.

Difference Between Quantum Computers and Traditional Computers

The first and biggest difference between quantum computers and traditional computers is in the way they encode information. While the latter encode information in binary ‘bits’ that can either be 0s or 1s, in quantum computers, the basic unit of memory is a quantum bit, or ‘qubit’, whose value can be either ‘1’ or ‘0’, or ‘1 AND 0’ simultaneously. This is done by ‘superposition’ – the fundamental principle of quantum mechanics that describes how quantum particles can travel in time, exist in multiple places at once, and even teleport.

Potential Applications of Quantum Computing

Quantum computing is still not the matured product that some believed it will be by the end of the last decade. However, it still offers some fascinating use cases, especially for programs that admit a polynomial quantum speedup. The best example of that is unstructured search, which involves finding a specific item in a database.

Is Quantum Computing the End of Digital Privacy?

All three cryptographic algorithms mentioned above are believed to be computationally infeasible with traditional supercomputers and, are typically used to encrypt secure web pages, encrypted email, and other types of data. However, that changes with quantum computers, which can, in theory, solve all these complex problems by using Shor’s algorithm, essentially rendering modern encryption insufficient in the face of possible attacks.

For now, many well-known public-key encryption algorithms are already believed to be secured against attacks by quantum computers. That include IEEE Std 1363.1 and OASIS KMIP, both of which already describe quantum-safe algorithms. Organizations can also avoid potential attacks from quantum computers by switching to AES-256, which offers an adequate level of security against quantum computers.

In spite of its massive potential, quantum computers have remained a ‘next-gen’ technology for decades without transitioning into a viable solution for general usage. There are multiple reasons for it, and addressing most of them has thus far proved to be beyond modern technology.

All things considered, scientists will have to find a way to get quantum computers to work at more reasonable temperatures to scale the technology for commercial use. Thankfully, physicists are already working on that, and last year, two sets of researchers from the University of New South Wales in Australia and QuTech in Delft, the Netherlands, published papers claiming to have created silicon-based quantum computers that work at a full degree above absolute zero.

Alongside the 53-qubit Sycamore processor mentioned earlier, Google also showcased a gate-based quantum processor called ‘Bristlecone’ at the annual American Physical Society meeting in Los Angeles back in 2018. The company believes that the chip is capable of finally bringing the power of quantum computing to the mainstream by solving ‘real-world problems’. Google Bristlecone / Image courtesy: Google

Quantum Computing: The Dawn of a New Era or a Threat to Digital Privacy?

The difference between quantum computers and traditional computers is so massive that the former may not replace the latter any time soon. However, with proper error correction and better energy efficiency, we could hopefully see more ubiquitous use of quantum computers going forward. And when that happens, it will be interesting to see whether it will spell the end of digital security as we know it or usher in a new dawn in digital cryptography.