Groups > alt.folklore.computers > #160893

Re: Quantum computers and encryption

From	jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com>
Newsgroups	alt.folklore.computers
Subject	Re: Quantum computers and encryption
Date	2016-03-12 13:34 +0000
Organization	"Have EDDT, will travel"
Message-ID	<PM00052DDA1B7D486F@aca411fa.ipt.aol.com> (permalink)
References	(11 earlier) <isw-F2A098.23143310032016@news-roam.garlic.com> <isw-F2A098.23143310032016@news-roam.garlic.com> <20160311074554.cb41dc932fff560df068a153@eircom.net> <PM00052DC54A4F7703@aca416bb.ipt.aol.com> <PnAEy.40052$8W3.6113@fx10.iad>

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Scott Lurndal wrote:
> jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> writes:
>>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.
>
> Where have you been?   Such computers _have_ been constructed and
> _are_ being played with.   Which was the impetus for Isaac's post.
> One of those experiments recently factored a product of  primes, which is
the
> key to defeating PKI (pun intended).

I didn't think those were computers but were (stretching the definition
of) devices.

/BAH

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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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