Cryptography, the art of writing or solving codes, plays a fundamental role in safeguarding data privacy and enabling secure communication. However, quantum computing has triggered a significant paradigm shift in the domain of information security, especially concerning cryptography.
The introduction of quantum computing, with its unprecedented computational capabilities, has opened the doors to potential vulnerabilities in existing cryptographic systems. The subsequent implications for data security are profound and require urgent attention.
This guide discusses the ongoing debate surrounding cryptography in the era of quantum computing, its impact on blockchain security, and the various countermeasures proposed by researchers.
An Introduction Computer Cryptography
As a cornerstone for safeguarding user privacy and preserving confidentiality, cryptography has become an essential instrument for ensuring system protection in the digital age. Essentially, it involves transforming regular text using a series of keys – a process referred to as encryption. The resulting text, or encrypted text, is then unreadable unless you have a decoding mechanism or a unique key. Thus, only the keyholders can decode the message back to a clear, understandable text.
Cryptography is a science that leans on mathematical principles to conceal and reveal data. The cryptosystem, the set of mathematical procedures used to convert regular text to encrypted text, is pivotal to the protection and secure transmission of sensitive data (e.g., credit card details, corporate information) especially over insecure networks like the Internet.
Concurrently, cryptanalysis, another science that focuses on analyzing and breaking coded messages when the keys are unavailable, has emerged. Nevertheless, modern cryptographic methods are practically invincible.
The robustness of a cryptographic system is gauged by the time and resources necessary to uncover the original text that’s been transformed using a key (at times, the system’s strength is as strong as its weakest link). A strong cryptographic system yields a cipher text (or cryptogram) which is exceedingly hard to decode without the correct decryption tool.
But how hard can it be? Despite the current computational power and the available time – even if we used a billion computers to perform a billion checks every second – it is improbable to decode the outcome of robust cryptography before the universe ends. In other words, successful cryptanalysis is virtually impossible. This strong encryption plays a significant role in preventing crime by protecting credit card transactions and sensitive records. As of now, there is no evidence that today’s strongest cryptography will succumb to future computational power.
Is Today’s Cryptography Obsolete in the Future?
The development of quantum computing is a monumental leap in computer science, promising to revolutionize computing in ways previously deemed unimaginable. However, this advancement also poses a significant threat to the security of cryptographic algorithms that form the bedrock of modern communication and data exchange. Hence, experts have started voicing concerns about the potential influence of quantum computing on blockchain security.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) warns that our current cryptographic systems will be obsolete and vulnerable to quantum computers in about two decades. This is quite a challenge. Therefore, it is crucial to begin overhauling the existing cryptographic systems now, as the process of selecting, standardizing, and implementing new algorithms will take roughly the same duration (around 20 years).
Major computer companies worldwide have been striving to develop quantum computers for several years. Once fully developed, these machines will be exponentially faster than today’s supercomputers in many respects. Recently, strides in this development have been made at an astonishing pace.
In 2013, Google unveiled its quantum computer, D-wave, which allegedly outperforms conventional PCs by a factor of 100 million. This month, IBM has given the public access to its new quantum processor via IBM Cloud. And this is just the beginning.
Take RSA cryptography as an example. RSA, a broadly utilized secure data transmission system, forms the foundation for items like internet browsers and digital signature software. It generates sets of public and private codes or keys. The process runs behind the scenes when you surf the internet or digitally sign a document. The RSA private key, which is held in secret, consists of two large prime numbers produced by an algorithm. These two numbers are then used, together with an exponent, to generate the public key through another algorithm. Anyone can encrypt information using the public key, but only the private key can decrypt it.
The encryption method hinges on the fact that it is extremely time-consuming and computationally demanding to factor the large integer in the public key to determine the private key’s two prime numbers. Nevertheless, Shor’s algorithm, proposed in 1994 by mathematician and Caltech graduate Peter Shor (BS ’81), illustrates how quantum computers could efficiently factor exceedingly large numbers. Thus, Shor’s algorithm could potentially undermine RSA cryptography.
Despite the technological milestones achieved in quantum computing, these developments necessitate an equally significant leap in security systems. As noted by NIST, the two developments are inseparable.
With this in mind, NIST is developing new encryption strategies that can keep up with this new era and resist the power of quantum computers.
They have initiated programs to encourage stakeholder participation in devising new cryptographic approaches and held competitions akin to the one for the development of the SHA-3 hash algorithm.
How Can Researchers Address This Issue?
Cryptography is the backbone of blockchain security, facilitating the production of tamper-proof digital signatures used to verify transactions and maintain the integrity of the blockchain network. However, cryptographic algorithms currently used by blockchain networks, such as SHA-256 and ECDSA, are susceptible to quantum computer attacks.
Quantum computers function based on quantum mechanics principles, enabling them to execute certain calculations exponentially faster than conventional computers. This speed advantage means that a quantum computer could crack the cryptographic algorithms used by blockchain networks within seconds or minutes, rendering them unsecure.
One significant impact of quantum computing on blockchain security is the potential for a 51% attack. In a blockchain network, a 51% attack happens when a single entity gains control of over 50% of the network’s computing power. This control enables the entity to manipulate the blockchain by creating fraudulent transactions or reversing legitimate ones. With quantum computing, it becomes simpler for an entity to obtain a majority of the network’s computing power, making a 51% attack more probable.
In response to the potential influence of quantum computing on blockchain security, researchers are investigating new cryptographic algorithms resistant to quantum computer attacks. These new algorithms, referred to as post-quantum cryptography, use mathematical problems believed to be difficult for quantum computers to solve. Although post-quantum cryptography promises long-term security for blockchain networks, it is still in its infancy, necessitating further research.
An alternative solution is the use of quantum-resistant blockchains. These blockchains are specifically designed to withstand quantum computer attacks, employing post-quantum cryptography and other techniques to ensure their security. Although still experimental, quantum-resistant blockchains offer a promising long-term solution to the challenges posed by quantum computing.
What is the Future of Cryptography and Encryption?
Quantum information science, which leverages quantum mechanics properties to develop new technologies, could potentially reshape our perception of encryption.
Post-quantum cryptography, also known as quantum-proof cryptography, is striving to develop encryption methods immune to algorithms or calculations that will run on future quantum computers.
The encryption methods we use today may not remain secure once quantum computers become a reality.
As such, it is highly probable that we will transition to new public key cryptography systems founded on problems that quantum computers cannot solve efficiently. Identifying such problems is a vigorous area of research in mathematics and cryptography.
What About Quantum Cryptography?
Quantum cryptography could serve as a practical alternative to traditional cryptography. It offers a promising solution to the vulnerabilities exposed in traditional cryptographic systems due to the advent of quantum computing. Leveraging the unique properties of quantum mechanics, it sets the stage for a new era of secure communication.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), the most promising application of quantum cryptography, exemplifies how quantum principles can be utilized to create an inherently secure communication channel. QKD involves the use of photons, the elementary particles of light, to generate and distribute a cryptographic key.
Since quantum mechanics dictates that the act of measuring quantum data inevitably changes it, any attempt at eavesdropping or interception during the transmission phase would be immediately noticeable, ensuring the communication’s confidentiality.
In stark contrast to the traditional cryptographic techniques, where the security relies heavily on the complexity of mathematical problems (which could potentially be undermined by quantum computers), the security in quantum cryptography is guaranteed by the laws of physics. No amount of computational power or advanced algorithms can violate these principles, making quantum cryptography seemingly impervious to the threats posed by quantum computing.
In essence, quantum cryptography can ensure that encrypted messages cannot be intercepted without alerting the legitimate parties, thereby providing unparalleled security. However, like any emerging technology, quantum cryptography is still in its infancy and comes with its own set of challenges, such as technological requirements for maintaining quantum states and potential vulnerabilities in actual implementation.
Despite these hurdles, the promise of achieving fundamentally secure communication is driving significant advancements in this field, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the realm of secure communication.
Thus, quantum cryptography, with its unique principles and inherent security features, presents an exciting avenue to overcome the challenges posed by the intersection of quantum computing and traditional cryptography. Its development and adoption could redefine how secure communication is understood and implemented in the quantum era, serving as a robust shield in the face of quantum threats.
Conclusion
In an era when data has become a new form of currency, maintaining its integrity and security is paramount. Quantum computing, despite its potential to revolutionize numerous fields, poses a grave threat to the existing systems of cryptography. As traditional cryptographic methods stand vulnerable to the power of quantum computing, the race to devise quantum-resistant algorithms or encryption methods is on.
Quantum cryptography, leveraging the laws of quantum mechanics, may offer a viable alternative. Although still in its early stages, it promises a world where secure communication could become truly unbreachable. In this quantum age, it is not just about progressing rapidly, but also about evolving sustainably while ensuring data security.
