[liberationtech] Quantum computation & communication

[Gregory Foster]

After reading Assange, et. al.'s "Cypherpunks: Freedom and the Future of  
the Internet", wherein classical encryption is presented as a panacea for 
ensuring privacy in an age of mass surveillance, I found the following 
article succinct in questioning the long-term viability of that narrative 
(or at least insisting on some qualifications).  Quantum computation and 
communication is still a long distance away, but this article provides the 
outlines of how that technology will be used (and abused) by the 
institutions that will be able to afford it.

Aerospace & Defense News (Dec 19) - "Army Researchers Seek Secure Quantum 
Communications":
http://www.asdnews.com/news-46753/Army_Researchers_Seek_Secure_Quantum_Communications.htm

> For the U.S. Army, a secure quantum communications network is a  
> technology investment worth making. Meyers said physicists around the  
> world are pursuing quantum teleportation research.
>
> "One day we will have communication over worldwide distances with  
> quantum repeaters as mediators at nodes in between," Meyers said.  
> "We'll be able to teleport information globally. What we'll have is  
> tamper-resistant security."
>
> Cyber-security is a major concern for military and civilian sectors.
>
> "This is important," he said. "The greatest potential that a quantum  
> communications network holds for the Army is secure communications."
>
> As quantum computing takes hold in the coming decades, the potential  
> for hacking exponentially increases.
>
> "Quantum computers will be able to easily decrypt communications that  
> are currently secure," Meyers said. "We're talking decryption in  
> seconds instead of years. That's one reason why it's vital for us to  
> explore quantum encryption."


To understand the assertion that a sufficiently large quantum computer can 
(hypothetically) decrypt classically encrypted communications---from any 
time---see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shor's_algorithm

Will the economic effects of Moore's Law apply to quantum computers,  
facilitating the mass distribution and use of this technology for popular 
quantum cryptography?  Probably not for some period of time, a time which 
may recapitulate the big iron power dynamics of the mainframe priesthood.  
It is that interim time period when there is likely to be a disparity in 
access to quantum computation that gives me pause.

However, in researching this post I was happy to learn that this threat is 
understood and research is underway into post-Quantum cryptography, which 
looks like it can be implemented on classical computers.  So predictable 
future problems may be mitigated by avoiding reliance on particular 
cryptographic techniques that are known to be breakable by quantum 
computers, such as the RSA algorithm used by many contemporary public-key 
cryptography systems:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-quantum_cryptography

I'll readily admit that I am about out of my depth here and welcome  
corrections and clarifications.  If we see this probability emerging, then 
it seems like liberationtechnicians should be advocating review and  
redesign of the algorithms used in popular public-key cryptosystems.

HT @ASDNewsCom via @MrKoot:
http://twitter.com/ASDNewscom/status/281018815276539904

gf

-- 
Gregory Foster || gfoster at entersection.org
@gregoryfoster <> http://entersection.com/

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