Quantum computing could soon threaten encryption algorithms!

There has been a lot of talk about quantum computers lately. Instead of bits, which can only be in the state of 1 or 0 at a given moment, a computer uses qubits. They can be in multiple states, or can represent multiple values at the same time. This significantly increases the amount of information a computer can store and the speed of calculations. Quantum computers do this by using another quantum phenomenon called quantum entanglement. This, of course, opens the door to extremely powerful parallel data calculations.

Google even believes that quantum computers could easily break one of the most widely used encryption algorithms, the 2048-bit RSA. A computer with a power of one million qubits could break this type of encryption algorithm in just one week. This means that in the future, such encryption algorithms will no longer offer adequate protection, which will endanger the security of data for those who are not prepared for it.

The current power of the most powerful quantum computers is 1,121 qubits. However, by 2033, the power of quantum computers is expected to increase to as much as 100,000 qubits. Quantum computers are expected to reach a million qubits a few decades later. But before that, new technology will be needed, as the current one would not be up to the task.