There’s a looming disaster on the cyber horizon coming to the Internet and cellular communications in the next few years(McGrew, 2015). Specifically, 90% of the current encryption used for data transmission on the internet and in cellular phones will cease to be effective due to the spread of quantum computers(Dolev, 2018). That means loss of private transmission over the Internet and cell signals, so no banking, purchasing, financial transactions, healthcare records, private emails, and countless other needs. All will be open to anyone with a quantum computer, which means large governments, research universities, and large corporations like Google and Facebook(Butterfill, 2017).
Most encryption used is asymmetric which can be established securely by two remote parties for a temporary session. It uses PKI or a Public Key Infrastructure and the RSA algorithm. It uses two very large prime numbers multiplied together to make a third extremely large number to encrypt the data. If either prime number is known, then the data can be decrypted. From basic algebra, the quadratic equation can be used to factor the number to get the primes, but a normal binary computer would require thousands of years to break extremely large numbers(NIST, 2018).
Quantum computers use the linked states of subatomic particles and their pseudo-mystical third state that doesn’t really exist, and some esoteric math that people with normal brain matter can’t grasp, to factor the large numbers in minutes rather than millennia(Bernstein & Lange, 2017). Encryption based on elliptic curves that is frequently found on small mobile processors such as smartphones and IoT devices is also vulnerable(Chen et al., 2016).
Solutions are being developed to combat this coming Internet Apocalypse and their market will be rapidly growing on the next few years(Braithwaite, 2016). The infamous NSA has reportedly deployed Quantum Resistant Ciphers (QRC) in their networks. Research is going on worldwide due to excellent potential for profits. There are several current vendors and organizations developing solutions.
- Silent Circle offers the quantum resistant Blackphone and a portable VPN device marketed to corporate executives in need of espionage proof communication(SIlentCircle, 2018).
- ISARA has developed Radiate™ Security Solution Suite, which is a set of algorithms for inclusion into software package(ISARA, 2018)s
- Google is experimenting with a new quantum resistant algorithm called “New Hope” in their Chrome browser(Braithwaite, 2016).
- NIST is currently working to develop quantum resistant technology guidelines(NIST, 2018).
The market for quantum resistant encryption solutions is in the beginning stages of growth but will expand quickly as research is developed into products. Sales will be brisk as realization of the coming problem seeps into the mind of the mainstream user and fear drives demand. While quantum computers are only in the prototype stage and likely a few more years away from destroying encryption, the danger is current because some large governmental organizations are rumored to be collecting large amounts of encrypted data off the Internet and storing it for decryption when the quantum processing becomes available(Carlisle, 2015).
References
Bernstein, D. J., & Lange, T. (2017). Post-quantum cryptography-dealing with the fallout of physics success. IACR Cryptology ePrint Archive, 2017, 314.
Braithwaite, M. (2016). Experimenting with Post-Quantum Cryptography Retrieved 4/13/2018, from https://security.googleblog.com/2016/07/experimenting-with-post-quantum.html
Butterfill, J. (2017, 01 Nov 2017). Quantum computing brings cyber security apocalypse. Retrieved 3/25/2018, from http://www.investmenteurope.net/opinion/quantum-computing-brings-cyber-security-apocalypse/
Carlisle, N. (2015, December 7, 2015). Edward Snowden talks about NSA’s Utah Data Center and more in Park City digital address The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved from http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=3270149&itype=CMSID
Chen, L., Chen, L., Jordan, S., Liu, Y.-K., Moody, D., Peralta, R., . . . Smith-Tone, D. (2016). Report on post-quantum cryptography: US Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Dolev, S. (2018, Jan 5, 2018). The quantum computing apocalypse is imminent. Retrieved 3/25/2018, from https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/05/the-quantum-computing-apocalypse-is-imminent/
ISARA. (2018). QUANTUM-SAFE: THE NEXT GENERATION OF CYBERSECURITY. 4/13/2018, from https://www.isara.com/isara-radiate/
McGrew, D. (2015). Internet Security vs. Quantum Computing. 22 Apr 2015. Retrieved 3/25/2018, from https://www.ietf.org/blog/internet-security-vs-quantum-computing/
NIST. (2018). Securing Tomorrow’s Information Through Post-Quantum Cryptography (C. S. Division, Trans.): National Institute of Standards and Technology.
SIlentCircle. (2018). Protect what must be kept private with GoSilent and Blackphone 2. Retrieved 4/13/2018, from https://www.silentcircle.com/