Quantum Computers Pose New Threat as Researchers Crack Encryption Protocols

With the aid of quantum computing, Chinese researchers from Shanghai University have boldly claimed to have effectively cracked encryption techniques used in the cryptocurrency and banking industries. According to the South China Morning Post, the team, lead by Wang Chao, used a quantum computer manufactured by the Canadian company D-Wave Systems to carry out the breach using a method known as quantum annealing.

Targeting Cryptography Algorithms

The researchers focused on algorithms like Present, Gift-64, and Rectangle, which are fundamental to the Substitution-Permutation Network (SPN) structure. This structure underpins advanced encryption standards (AES), widely trusted in the protection of cryptocurrency wallets. AES-256, known for its robustness, has been considered one of the most secure encryption protocols available. However, quantum advancements may now threaten the long-standing security of these encryption methods.

Wang’s research paper detailed quantum annealing as a method that mirrors artificial intelligence algorithms, optimizing solutions globally by identifying the lowest energy state. Unlike traditional methods that explore every path, quantum tunneling enables particles to bypass obstacles, potentially unlocking cryptographic systems more efficiently.

“This is the first time that a real quantum computer has posed a real and substantial threat to multiple full-scale SPN structured algorithms in use today,” Wang’s team asserted. The team’s work suggests that quantum computers could, in the near future, expose user funds to theft by overcoming current encryption protocols at a rapid pace.

Researchers noted that despite this advancement, a number of obstacles still stand in the way of a complete quantum attack. For the time being, environmental concerns, technological constraints, and the difficulty of creating a single attack algorithm prevent widespread encryption breaches. Furthermore, even though the quantum computer attack achieved a great deal of progress, the precise passcodes utilized in the tested methods were not completely disclosed.

However, this research suggests that the future of digital security may be concerning. Publication of the results in the peer-reviewed China Computer Federation (CCF) Chinese Journal of Computers on September 30 brought attention to the changing field of cryptographic vulnerabilities.