Chinese scientists calculate a 48-bit key on a quantum computer

To crack the most complex 2048-bit cipher, a computer of 50-100 qubits is needed

06.01.2023 - 13:00

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2 min

What’s new? On December 23, scientists and researchers at leading Chinese universities published a paper with the results of tests of a 10-qubit quantum computer. According to the published data, they were able to calculate a 48-bit RSA public key.

The full version of the paper

What is RSA? RSA is a public-key cryptographic algorithm. It is one of the most popular algorithms for data encryption and is also used for digital signatures. The algorithm name comes from the first letters of the last names of its creators (Rivest, Shamir, and Adelman). The algorithm uses two keys — a private key for encryption and decryption, and a public key for validation. Before the advent of quantum computers, the algorithm was considered secure; now its security is threatened because quantum computers can decompose long integers into multiples in a short time.

The success with the cracking of the RSA algorithm’s public key by a 10-key computer by Chinese scientists poses risks to cryptocurrency crypto systems as well. In the published paper, the authors note that a computer of 50-100 qubits is needed to crack the most complex 2048-bit cipher.

In February 2022, US banking giant JPMorgan Chase unveiled research of a quantum key distribution (QKD) blockchain network that is resistant to quantum computing attacks. According to a statement, the company collaborated with Toshiba and Ciena to deploy and test the QKD blockchain. QKD uses quantum mechanics and cryptography to provide a secure exchange of data between two parties, as well as to detect and protect against third parties trying to eavesdrop on the exchange. The technology is seen as reliable protection against potential blockchain hacks that can be carried out by quantum computers in the future.

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