[Cryptography] NSA looking for quantum-computing resistant encryption. How will encryption be affected by quantum computing

[Tom Mitchell]

On Mon, Aug 31, 2015 at 7:41 AM, Erik Granger <erikgranger at gmail.com> wrote:

> www.engadget.com/2015/08/30/nsa-quantum-resistant-encryption/
>
> I read this article and as a non-expert in quantum computing, I'm
> wondering what sort of impact quantum computing will have on our
> encryption. Will it just make brute forcing easier, thus requiring
> certificates to have a shorter shelf life? Or is it something more
> worrying? Less worrying?
>
If you are the NSA you need to worry.  A review of history -Example: the
computers and tools at  Bletchley Park were
unknown (or under-appreciated) to the Germans.  The effective decryption of
messages was a critical aspect that influenced the
outcome of WW2.

One tender spot in history was the early days and onset of WW2 a lessons
that some are apparently forgetting.
Decrypting a critical communication one hour too late...  is not a goal.

We are seeing glimpses of comsec failure in all corners of industrial and
government systems.
Some is simple foolish blundering in management.  Some is encryption
failure that allowed undetected
access to data and data transfers.

One questionable strategy is the central servers that some agencies use for
mail.
Simply too many eggs in one basket.

Quantum computing does not help the recent failures of management, policy
and bugs
but it does need to be something the NSA is ignorant about.


-- 
  T o m    M i t c h e l l
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