TLS Post-Quantum Experiment

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15 points·chmaynard··4 comments

That article was way above my head. I just glossed over it and have no other takeaway other than: Why are people not scared shitless of quantum computers? Are they even aware of the implications for privacy that quantum computers have? I am aware that intelligence agencies will be the first to possess such a computer, but what happens when it gets in the hands of hackers and bad actors? You could cause some serious violations of privacy when the day comes when you can fit a quantum computer into a laptop form factor.

But then I guess, by then, we would have suitable algorithms which are resistant to a quantum attack, so it's only a matter of switching over to new cipher suites.

Quantum computers can factor numbers faster than traditional numbers, yes, but i don’t think it’s going to be a sudden jump from “impossible” to “now anyone can break any crypto”.

On the other hand, switching crypto algorithms is relatively easy. Breaking crypto is something that’s happened before. There’s already a system in place for TLS for negotiating the best available crypto scheme, and people have already switched away from past, less secure algorithms before.

I think there are so many more problems to solve with building the quantum computers, compared to coming up with or implementing a new crypto scheme.

Probably because a quantum computer that can actually factor a large enough prime is between 10-30 years away. The technical challenges are... substantial.

The article mentions NIST’s effort toward a post-quantum encryption standard. Hopefully, a few decades from now, these algorithms will be well understood and in widespread use.

i understood every word

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