Quantum Computing: How to Secure Internet Data for Future Quantum Computers

Scientists may already be working on a way to secure data for the quantum computers of the future. A team of cryptographers is future-proofing the privacy of today's internet communications from tomorrow's powerful computers.

For the powerful quantum computers that will be developed in the future, cracking online bank account details and credit card numbers will be fairly simple. That's why researchers are currently working on future-proofing the privacy of today's internet.

"Governments and the computing industry are working with scientists to try to build quantum computers," said Douglas Stebila, one of the researchers, in a news release. "It's a very significant scientific challenge, but quantum computers could be reality in a few decades. Quantum computers will be able to solve complex scientific problems, like simulating chemical reactions much faster than today's most powerful supercomputers, but they'll also be able to break much of the public key cryptography that's used to protect internet, mobile telephone, and other electronic communication. Though quantum computers don't exist yet, they could be used to retroactively decrypt past transmissions."

Internet communication was currently protected by encryption using the Transport Layer Security (TLS) standard, which ensures that web browsers can't be tricked into sending data to the wrong web server, and that eavesdroppers can't intercept passwords or other personal information.

Now, though, researchers have developed a new quantum-proof version of TLS that incorporates a mathematical technique called the "ring learning with errors problem," which is a fairly recent technique that mathematicians think has the potential to resist quantum attacks.

"The speed of the new protocol is now something we will work on, but this is a big step forward, demonstrating the practicality of these new techniques," said Stebila. "We're optimistic this will provide a framework for developing effective ways of future-proofing our data in the world of quantum computers."

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