As reported to the public by a group of Chinese scientists, they outperformed encryption algorithms widely used by the banking sector and cryptocurrencies with a quantum computer from D-Wave Systems. This accomplishment, however, causes grave concerns regarding how safe modern encryption can be.
Quantum Annealing Technique Chinese
According to SCMP, quantum annealing is finding the optimal configuration of variables within a system, which essentially means finding the lowest energy state within a system, enabling the computer to search for solutions to problems faster than conventional algorithms would.
Implications for Encryption Standards Chinese
Currently, the AES-256 is arguably rated as the most secure encryption standard, but members of the group caution that quantum computing will be a massive force against maintaining that structural integrity. According to Wang, continued research in quantum hacking will overcome all password protection and render user information and user funds vulnerable.
Wang characterized the method of quantum annealing applied in their work as a search for a global optimum, similar to an artificial intelligence algorithm. However, unlike classical algorithms, which usually explore all options comprehensively, tunnelling enables particles to bypass barriers instead of moving over them. This leads to the enhanced prospect of quantum computers seeking the ground state and overcoming hurdles facing conventional approaches.
A New Threat Landscape
Such a development points toward a possible departure for the cryptocurrency world in which factors that empower the breaking of encryption codes threaten user funds in unimaginable dimensions.
The people warned cited, however, certain disadvantages, such as geographical and technological ones, that currently make a practical quantum hack infeasible. Also, it remains an open problem to create a universal attack capable of penetrating many systems simultaneously.
This notwithstanding, the quantum-computer-aided attack did not enumerate the actual passwords used in the tested algorithms. The results nevertheless indicated more advancement than ever before, which was quite unnerving for encryption protection in the future.
