The Future Of Quantum Computing And IT Security
The Future of Quantum Computing and IT Security
Aaron Sears
East Carolina University
abstract
Quantum computing is a new field of computer science. Its predictive power is far beyond the classical computers we use today. “Quantum computers use quantum mechanical phenomena to manipulate information. For this reason, they rely on quantum bits or qubits.” Compared with the most powerful classical computers, the computing power grows exponentially. With the development of this new technology, many people worry about the security of information technology, because quantum computers are expected to destroy the public key encryption scheme. Encryption can no longer maintain the same level of protection as today, so it can be a fatal blow to IT security. In this document, you will find the exploration of this problem, possible solutions, and other possible uses of both computers in IT security.
The Future of Quantum Computing and IT Security
Quantum computer is still in its early stage, but it can eventually solve the overly complex problems that classical computers cannot solve. In this regard, it is worth paying attention to the ability of the algorithm behind the encryption key. These encryption keys are used to protect personal data and all data stored on the computer. The security infrastructure is used to protect all types of data and will no longer be useful in a short time.
Xiao algorithm
Today’s encryption is based on complex “mathematical formulas”, and decoding on today’s computers takes a long time. To illustrate this, it is easy to multiply two numbers to generate a multiplication. However, it is much more difficult for a computer to start from a large number and divide it into two decimals. Quantum computers with enough qubits “can easily decompose large numbers and decrypt”. The algorithm developed to achieve this is called the Shore algorithm developed by Peter Shaw.
If the quantum computer develops to the level that can run the algorithm, the encryption method(such as the encryption method behind RSA) will be destroyed. This means that the encryption method used on the Internet will be invalid, and the data will be easily stolen. The reliability and integrity of data are no longer guaranteed during transmission. Although this reality is far away, it is time to consider possible defensive measures against this threat.
The State sanctioned cyber attacks.
The most likely institutions to use quantum computing for network attacks will be government agencies. Because of the nature of quantum computers and the huge cost of developing and using them, only rich governments have the resources to use them. What does this mean for network security in the country approved cyber attacks against other foreign governments. With the development of computer and network technology, governments all over the world use them to attack other countries. This has taken the form of information hackers such as power grids and water treatment facilities, and even election related matters. According to the Center for Strategic and the Institute of International Studies(CSIS), hundreds of cyber attacks have been planned by global government agencies since 2006.
If quantum computers are powerful enough, powerful governments can use them to undermine the encryption methods of other foreign governments. Obviously, the nationally recognized cyber attacks are widespread in today’s society, and governments are looking for tools to make hackers easier. In 2018, Congress signed the National Quantum Plan Act aimed at simplifying the development of quantum computing in the United States. Individual threat actors will not be able to access quantum computers in the short term, which means that only the most powerful entity such as the national government will worry about this kind of encryption destruction.
Quantum secure cryptography.
For the concern that quantum computers may destroy encryption methods, the possible solution is to develop quantum security encryption technology” Also known as post quantum or constant, it is an encryption algorithm that is considered to be able to resist quantum computer attacks. Currently popular public key algorithms such as RSA and ECC depend on the “difficulty of large number decomposition”, so they may be damaged by Shor algorithm, making them more vulnerable to attacks. The quantum security encryption technology has not yet been fully developed, but great progress has been made. The draft standard will be drafted as soon as 2022. NIST can standardize various algorithms for digital signatures to replace signatures specified in FIPS186-4(such as RSA, DSA, ECDSA) and multiple key packaging mechanism(KEM). “Key generation algorithms specified by NIST SP 800-56A/B(such as DH, ECDH, MQV, and RSA OAEP)”
This means that the fear of quantum computer security breaches has been well controlled. It will take a lot of time for quantum computers to be powerful enough to break the encryption methods we currently use. At present, the most powerful quantum computer is IBM’s quantum computer, with less than 100 quantum bits. Early estimates of quantum computers’ ability to decipher RSA encryption methods were millions of quantum bits. We have enough time and security protocols to deal with these issues.
Man in the middle attack defense
Man in the middle attack refers to the attacker’s secret location, blocking the transmission between the two parties through personal connection, and stealing or changing data. These attacks are one of the reasons why IT security is needed first. If the data on the network leaks, the person to whom the data belongs will also be lost. The enterprise may lose its business secrets or everything else that the future plan and data of the project can bring. These and other attacks are the most important reason for IT security, and any defense measures against these attacks are very important.
Using the hypothetical quantum Internet, quantum computers can communicate directly with each other, and man in the middle attacks may not be effective. The way they work is because of the nature of quantum particles themselves. If a quantum particle is used in a quantum computer, it will become a quantum bit. Because photons are quantum particles themselves, they can be used to transmit data. If the existing optical fiber cable is used, quantum transmission is already here and used by classical computers in ordinary bit format. However, changes in quantum computers, such as using a third-party computer to observe the quantum bits transmitted in a middleman attack, can be detected immediately by changing the quantum bits.
The physics behind this technology in the form of quantum bits is complex, so you don’t need to know it to use this machine. When you use a machine to observe a quantum particle, you know that you can directly interact with it and change it. This causes the quantum bit to lose its quantum state and become unusable. When it comes to “quantum internet”, it means that we can immediately know whether the data being transmitted is intercepted. Today, network hackers may occur without the knowledge of network administrators. A few days, weeks or even months may pass without knowing the network leakage. With this technology, you can immediately know whether the third party will collect data. Therefore, when using the quantum Internet, attacks that rely on the data being transmitted will be ineffective.
conclusion
Concerns about quantum computing and IT security are well founded, but not defenseless. Early use of quantum computers can be used for national espionage, but it will be difficult to find quantum computers by a single threat actor. With the development of quantum security cryptography, quantum computer solutions may break the popular encryption algorithms we use today. In short, IT security will continue to exist as a new tool of quantum computing. With the development of this technology, it is increasingly clear that it security has the potential to improve it security. For example, the nature of quantum bits and the inherent defense against man in the middle attacks.
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