Quantum Computers Need Vastly Fewer Resources than Thought to Break Vital Encryption

Quantum computers need vastly fewer resources than thought to break vital encryption

Building a utility-scale quantum computer that can crack one of the most vital cryptosystems—elliptic curves—doesn’t require nearly the resources anticipated just a year or two ago, two independently written whitepapers have concluded. In one, researchers demonstrated the use of neutral atoms as reconfigurable qubits that have free access to each other. They went on to show this approach could allow a quantum computer to break 256-bit elliptic c…

Quantum computers need just 10,000 qubits — not the millions we assumed — to break the world's most secure encryption algorithms

Future quantum computers will need to be far less powerful than we thought to threaten the security of encrypted messages, banking information and other sensitive data.

A quantum computer may need just 10,000 qubits to empty your crypto wallets, researchers say

The research shows quantum computers may break bitcoin and ether wallet encryption with far fewer qubits than previously thought, accelerating the push toward post-quantum security.

Quantum Factoring Needs Just 10,000 Qubits

Until now, breaking modern encryption required quantum computers with millions of qubits, a scale considered decades away. New analysis demonstrates that Shor’s algorithm, the key to cracking much of today’s digital security, could run with as few as 10,000 atomic qubits. With 26,000 qubits, factoring the P-256 curve, used to secure many online transactions, might take only a few days.

Quantum computers could break crypto wallet encryption with just 10,000 qubits, researchers say

The research shows quantum computers may break bitcoin and ether wallet encryption with far fewer qubits than previously thought, accelerating the …