Quantum Computing and How it Might Impact Cybersecurity
To put it succinctly, the impact of quantum computing on cybersecurity can be tremendous and highly disruptive.
Quantum computing shows significant potential in a variety of fields, including medical research, artificial intelligence, weather forecasting, and so on. It does, however, pose a substantial danger to cybersecurity, necessitating a shift in how we secure our data. Although quantum computers do not currently have the capacity to break a lot of our present types of encryptions, we must keep track of the severity of the risks involved and develop quantum-proof solutions right away. We cannot simply wait and watch as those powerful computers rip through our encryptions; otherwise, it’ll be too late.
Irrespective of when widely accessible quantum computers will emerge, one incentive to quantum-proof data now is the prospect of malicious individuals collecting data. Such individuals have already started grabbing data and storing it till they have acquired the means to obtain a quantum computer with which to decipher it. When that happens, the data will have already been tampered with. The only way to maintain information security against such future threats, especially for data that must be kept secure indefinitely, is to protect it today by coming up with quantum-proof solutions.
The Threat Quantum Computing Could Pose
Quantum computers will be with the ability to solve complicated problems that conventional computers are incapable of solving. This involves deciphering the algorithms underlying the encryption keys that safeguard our information and the infrastructure of the Internet itself.
A lot of today’s encryptions is built on mathematical calculations that would take an extremely long time to decipher on today’s computers, rendering it impractical. To make things simple, consider two integers, for instance, and find their product through multiplication. It would be quite simple to find the answer, but it would be even more challenging if one had to start with a big number and factor it into its two prime numbers. A quantum computer, on the other hand, can effortlessly factor…
