Quantum Attacks and the Damage They Can (Will) Do

With every passing year, technology advances exponentially. There are times when we come across a newly developed program only to realize that it's miles ahead of everything we know. 

The situation isn't different in terms of cyberattacks and other malicious online activities either. We are fast approaching the era of quantum computers, theorized to be even 158 million times faster than the fastest supercomputers we have today. You can certainly understand that once the first quantum computer enters the scene, the current systems and technologies will become obsolete instantly. 

Once quantum computers and, by the same token, quantum attacks become a reality, they will not only be devastating, but it will already be too late to fight them. As you can see, the issue here is that we have to work on this today, not in the years to come.

Present Issue of Future Problems

Let's get things straight first — quantum attacks won't be here for a while. Quantum computers are still being worked on, and no one is even close to creating the first machine of this kind. This means that attacks based on such technology are not yet a reality. 

However, both smaller startups and industry giants like Google and IBM are already working on these computers. For example, IBM's Condor processor, which uses 1,121 qubits, is set to be released in 2023 and could indicate a massive breakthrough in the current race for quantum technology. 

Now, the present issue with future quantum attacks is twofold:

1. They will become a reality at some point — it's only a matter of time.

2. Even though they may not be able to crack the encryption, hackers can steal valuable data today and try to decrypt it in the future when the technology allows them to do so.

US Government's Awareness of the Problem

Due to this issue, which requires immediate attention, many companies — and even the US government itself — have already begun working on a solution. Or, to be more precise, they've started planning around it.

The US government has stated that there is a significant possibility that various hackers are stealing data, not to crack it now but to keep it, with the hopes of decrypting it in the future. They are well aware that current levels of encryption are often uncrackable with conventional means. But they are likely counting on the fact that these pieces of information will be susceptible to cracking eventually. 

It's worth mentioning that current encryption algorithms are breakable by conventional computers, at least in theory. That's because they can hypothetically find the solution to decrypting them, but they would require thousands of years to do so. 

Hackers know that quantum computers could test all possible combinations in only eight hours due to their sheer complexity compared to traditional machines. In other words, current state-of-the-art encryption systems used by online banking platforms would instantly become obsolete. 

That's why we need to put more emphasis on the real issue. We shouldn't speculate on when the new attacks will become a reality. Instead, we should focus on how to solve them because it's vital to stay ahead in cybersecurity. After all, it's the only way to ensure proper protection is implemented in the future. 

What Can Be Done Now to Prevent Future Quantum Attacks?

The good news is that companies are working on creating solutions as we speak. They know that the data stolen now will be endangered in the future, which is why we already have a few algorithms verified to be quantum-resistant. 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has already chosen four algorithms that can create mathematical problems that both current computers and future quantum computers will have great difficulty solving. 

For general encryption, the algorithm that has been chosen is the CRYSTALS-Kyber algorithm. On the other hand, the algorithms chosen for digital signature protection are FALCON, SPHINCS+, and CRYSTALS-Dilithium. 

SPHINCS+ is the only one that uses hash functions, while the rest use structured lattices, a specific collection of math problems. 

NIST primarily recommends CRYSTALS-Dilithium, as it believes this is the primary algorithm for digital signatures. FALCON is recommended for apps with smaller signatures, while SPHINCS+ should be used as a backup solution. 

Regular companies can already start moving on to the new post-quantum cryptography systems, but businesses in the blockchain space will have more difficulties due to the inherently decentralized nature of their industry. Moving away from the current security solutions would possibly break the decentralized aspects of blockchain. 

However, even though it's difficult, it's not impossible. The QANplatform has already implemented CRYSTALS-Dilithium in its security layer and QAN XLINK protocol. The company will also use it in its QAN public blockchain. This way, it will demonstrate that these platforms can stay protected in the future world of quantum computers and quantum-based attacks without sacrificing what makes them decentralized. 

Bottom Line

Even though we are in the early stages of finding a concrete standard for post-quantum cryptography, NIST is already encouraging security experts to explore the new algorithms and the ways of introducing them into their companies' systems. 

It's crucial to stay ahead of the curve in cybersecurity, as that's the only way to protect your business. Breaches are constantly increasing in number and scope, and we have no way of knowing if hackers will keep that data until they find a way to decrypt it. That's why it's vital to protect your information now before it's too late.