AuthenticationWorld Blog

This past week, Tim Wilson published a very interesting article in Dark Reading "
Quantum Research Could Threaten Encryption Schemes". In it he documents the recent research in Australia and China on photon computers that is able to deploy something called "Shor's Algorithm".

According to Tim's article he says "Using an experimental computer based on photonics, the researchers in Australia and China have independently been able to do a full-scale implementation of something called Shor's Algorithm, a non-linear method of factoring composite numbers. Shor's Algorithm breaks many of the rules of linear computing and therefore has no trouble finding the prime factors in any number, no matter how large.

The research shakes the foundation of all types of currently available encryption methods. If the quantum computer can factor any number of any size with equal ease, then, theoretically, no algorithm based on linear computing is safe. "

All of this should give CSO's and CIO's pause for consideration. It means that over the next ten or so years, as quantum computing comes into being, that most of their precious secrets and defense mechanisms relying upon encryption can be broken.

Guy
www.authenticationworld.com
guy.huntington@authenticationworld.com