While I believe the NSA does not have such a machine for different reasons, in particular that I don't think it's possible for them to get that far ahead of the state-of-the-art, I think it's something of a leap from "NSA doesn't have good internal security" to "NSA wouldn't provide good internal security to a computer system that far ahead of the state of the art." If they ARE hiding a quantum computer, that would make it more likely that there is an extremely strong compartment where they put their most precious secrets, while they lead the rest of the world to think the compartment Snowden had access to *was* that compartment.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Phillip Hallam-Baker <phill@hallambaker.com>
Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2016 23:49:40 -0500
Subject: [Cryptography] Proof that the NSA does not have a quantum
computer capable of attacking public key crypto (yet)
To: "cryptography@metzdowd.com" <cryptography@metzdowd.com>
Proof that the NSA does not have a quantum computer capable of
attacking public key crypto (yet)
A) Assume that the NSA has such a machine.
>From A it follows that the machine can be used to forge bitcoin transfers.
B) Large areas of the bitcoin mining pool have never been spent.
A,B) Anyone with a QC could use it to break the keys of the wallets
holding $500 million.
C) This has not happened.
D) The NSA has awful internal security, (see Snowden). NSA resources
are known to have been diverted for LOVINT. It is unlikely NSA
employees are more honest than those of federal law enforcement whose
investigator ripped off the Silk Road operator for at least half a
million. The third in command at the CIA was recently prosecuted and
copped a plea for participating in the 'Duke' Cunningham bribery ring
poker and prostitutes parties at the Watergate. Oh and Secret
Service... need I go on.
C,D) it follows that the NSA is not capable of breaking bitcoin
Therefore NSA does not have a quantum computer (yet).
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