Recent Claims by Chinese Researchers
Recently, a group of researchers from Shanghai University announced that they have succeeded in breaking RSA encryption algorithms, which put systems integral to banking, military, and cryptocurrency in jeopardy. However, according to the popular YouTuber Mental Outlaw, all these claims are hyperbolized. He believes that China’s recent breakthrough into quantum computing is not yet a serious threat to the modern standard of encryption because of severe computational and physical challenges still present.
The Limitations of China’s Quantum Breakthrough
In their experiment, the Chinese researchers factored the integer 2,269,753 on a quantum computer-the new record for quantum computing. Mental Outlaw countered that, while this is indeed better than previous quantum records, it also significantly trails behind the achievements of classical computing. The only encryption key the quantum computer was able to break was of the size of 22 bits, while classical computers have managed keys of sizes as large as 892 bits.
To put that into perspective, some of the early versions of RSA encryption used 512-bit keys, and most modern standards, which were enacted around 2015, use 2048 to 4096 bits. Current quantum computers do not have the power to break such a massive-scale encryption.
Physical Limitations of Quantum Computing
Until now, even quantum computing has been constrained by the physical characteristics of qubits, which are the quantum version of bits. Qubits do require very low temperatures, ranging from -200°C to -270°C, for them to be stable enough to carry out some calculations. These require sophisticated and expensive cooling systems, making any wide quantum computing adoption unfeasible for the time being.
Besides that, most of the qubits in quantum systems are used only for error correction. Mental Outlaw outlined how most of a quantum computer’s processing power is taken up correcting errors rather than solving the problems directly. This does severely limit the overall capacity of quantum computers.
Tech Companies Prepare for a Post-Quantum World
Given these limitations, the rate at which technology is evolving has cybersecurity experts concerned about what might be next. Anticipating that at some point in the future, quantum capabilities might improve, tech companies are developing quantum-resistant cryptography.
In July 2023, HSBC began testing quantum-resistant banking infrastructure. Similarly, in September 2023, IBM Quantum and Microsoft formed a coalition to draft encryption standards that could withstand quantum attacks. In February 2024, Apple joined those companies already using post-quantum cryptography by hardening the security of iMessage.
Conclusion
While this development in quantum computing is remarkable, it has not yet reached the stride that brings modern encryption standards into jeopardy. In fact, quantum computers still face formidable technical and physical obstacles. But given the rapid pace at which technology advances, companies and governments must be cognizant and prepare for a point where quantum computers will be able to break today’s encryption safeguards someday.
