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Re: Quantum computers and encryption

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Ahem A Rivet's Shot wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Mar 2016 23:14:34 -0800
> isw <isw@witzend.com> wrote:
>
>> Not sure this is the right group, but there seems to be a lot of random
>> knowledge here ...
>>
>> I just saw an article on some recent "breakthrough" in quantum
>> computing, where the author was yet again predicting the imminent demise
>> of encryption, just as soon as they "get the bugs out" of their
>> superfast CPU. Or whatever.
>>
>> Anyhow, as I understand it, a quantum computer can sort of "test all the
>> keys at once" to find the right one to decrypt an encrypted file.
>
>     That would perhaps be possible but has all the problems you mention.
> The main thing quantum computers do to encryption is fast factorisation.
> Public key encryption depends on it being very difficult to factorise a
> large number - if you can factorise the public key you can generate the
> private key - so if you can factorise large numbers quickly then public key
> encryption is broken.
>
I don't think we'll know what quantum computers will do until a few
are constructed and kiddies begin to play with it.  Today's
computing is based on reproducibility which is not what quantum
computing does.

/BAH

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Thread

Quantum computers and encryption isw <isw@witzend.com> - 2016-03-10 23:14 -0800
  Re: Quantum computers and encryption Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2016-03-11 07:45 +0000
    Re: Quantum computers and encryption jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2016-03-11 13:08 +0000
      Re: Quantum computers and encryption scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2016-03-11 14:13 +0000
        Re: Quantum computers and encryption jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2016-03-12 13:34 +0000

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