[Cryptography] Proof that the NSA does not have a quantum computer capable of attacking public key crypto (yet)

[Sean Lynch]

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.

On Wed, Feb 10, 2016 at 11:16 AM grarpamp <grarpamp at gmail.com> wrote:

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Phillip Hallam-Baker <phill at 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 at metzdowd.com" <cryptography at 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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