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Only if we can actually build general purpose quantum computers. The news here is that a new quantum algorithm has been developed to attack public key cryptogra
by gliese1337 12y ago
Only if we can actually build general purpose quantum computers. The news here is that a new quantum algorithm has been developed to attack public key cryptography; other quantum algorithms that attack certain kinds of cryptography were already known. None of them matter practically until we have computers that can actually run them, which we don't, but the discovery of another new attack algorithm means that developing such computers would be a slightly bigger deal than we thought it was before.
- apendleton 12y agoThis one is also noteworthy because the algorithm it attacks was developed specifically with resistance to quantum attacks in mind, unlike the breed of public-key crypto currently in use, which is widely known to be vulnerable to quantum attacks.
- tptacek 12y agoThat may be true of Soliloquy, but I'm not sure it's the case that lattice problems were originally researched as an antidote to QC. Lattice theory has applicability to cryptography in general, so it's natural that people explored its suitability as a crypto primitive. I don't think it's reasonable to draw the conclusion from this paper that "cryptographers set out to foil QC and in this case failed". One derivative scheme in a broad class of lattice crypto designs fell, that's all. Lattice crypto has very strong post-quantum crypto marketing, because of NTRU.
- tptacek 12y agoThe news here is that a new quantum algorithm has been developed to attack one very specific form of public key cryptography.