NSA seeks to build quantum computer that could crack most types of encryption

[LiteCoinGuy]

of course they are working on it but it will take alot more years before they reach their goals.

[SprichtZarathustra]

Is it even likely that the US will have any money to spend on such research in the next 20 years?

Yes, good argument. Most governments will schrink in size over the next year. Hell, the shutdown
of the entire country last year was the reality of it crashing in. I wonder what will happen end of this month,
when they're gonna have to raise the debt cealing again. It's hard to say what's going to happen.

But, still we have to think about the next step of security, thus also improving the cryptography of btc.
From a more broadened perspective; many facets of btc will (have to) evolve over time. F.i. storing your
data on USB-sticks might not be common anymore in 5-10 years. Certainly in this time where technological
evolution is growing exponentially, expect everything to change.

[Hawker]

Is it even likely that the US will have any money to spend on such research in the next 20 years?

Its absolutely certain. 

Think about it.  If cryptocurrency is even a remote theoretical threat to the dollar, and the dollar is printed by the richest country in the world, isn't that rich country going to print whatever it needs to investigate that threat?

[oakpacific]

QC is a fundamental, landscape-transforming technology, it's not just for cracking code, FYI. I would say it's absolutely worthwhile to invest in it, if it has any chance to become a reality.

That being said we should not be blindly superstitious about it, nothing is magic, cryptography is not a boxing match or football game, you are not going to beat a algorithm or a function overnight magically, it will be a long, tenuous process which should give people sufficient time to make transitions, if we do our due diligence.

[timewave0]

of course they are working on it but it will take alot more years before they reach their goals.

Are you familiar with how long the NSA knew about differential cryptanalysis before everyone else? In the article, Schneier is optimistic about the security community catching up the NSA, but I don't think we have nearly enough data to forecast a trend. I also think quantum computing is the kind of problem the NSA would able to solve much sooner than the academic or corporate pure research communities. From what little I know about quantum computing, I get the impression a lot of the theory is known, but the challenge is to manufacture one that works. Kind of like the Manhattan Project.

[bbulker]

We can't assume that the NSA doesn't already have these capabilities. If we're hearing about it, it's already too late.

[Wilikon]

THIS MUST BE ADDRESSED ASAP

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-seeks-to-build-quantum-computer-that-could-crack-most-types-of-encryption/2014/01/02/8fff297e-7195-11e3-8def-a33011492df2_print.html

Of course it will be bad for Bitcoin, but it will be worse for EVERY single industry on the planet, private or government, military, etc.

[johnyj]

It's easy to change the protocol, but it's not easy to have a robust network in the transition. A quantum miner will possibly command more than 50% of the network hashing power

[cp1]

It's far easier for the NSA to break into your house and steal your paper wallet than it is for them to build a quantum computer.

[oakpacific]

It's easy to change the protocol, but it's not easy to have a robust network in the transition.

Way easier than inventing a real quantum computer itself.

[empoweoqwj]

What disturbs me in this thread is that most people here are acting like "chill, it's not gonna happen yet, we are safe for now"
Shouldn't we get a fix in place just in case? The NSA has a massive budget and a lot of scientists, if anyone can build a quantumcomputer it is them, and if they do, they will have it long before anyone else thinks it is even a possibility. If it happens, it can destroy our system in a matter of days, after all, they only have to bruteforce one adress (or even a hash used in something else as bitcoin (password storage, banking, ... )) to cause a massive panic and sell off. Bitcoin will be worth $0 in no time if that happens.

In my opinion, post quantum cryptography should be in place for bitcoin LONG before it ever becomes a threat. as much as we will probably be able to fix the problem right away, we won't be able to undo the damage to the trust of the users in any way.
Once people experience we are in a race against a far more powerfull technology that can break our system, they will lose faith in it and wonder what other technologies can break it in the future and why they trusted in the system in the first place. Even if that feeling is completely unnecessary at that point ( because it has been fixed), there will be nothing we can do about it to convince them otherwise. "It has been broken once and it will be broken again, i'll go back to my government backed fiat please!"
 

I'm sure its on the bitcoin developers' discussion list.

[AnonyMint]

Lamport signatures. Problem solved.

[iamphoenix]

Lamport signatures. Problem solved.

enlighten us please

[iamphoenix]

We can't assume that the NSA doesn't already have these capabilities. If we're hearing about it, it's already too late.

maybe in the past this would be true but now they use propaganda to attack, they want to do everything to scare people out of bitcoin so here comes this flawed article to scare people ;... KEEP IN MIND... the credit card and banking institutions also use (as far as i am aware) sha256 it would be suicide for the banks goals and destroy bitcoin as a single currency...

[iamphoenix]

It's far easier for the NSA to break into your house and steal your paper wallet than it is for them to build a quantum computer.

break in would imply locked doors..  lol they just use open backdoors  etc

[empoweoqwj]

Lamport signatures. Problem solved.

enlighten us please

I googled it for ya:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamport_signature

[iamphoenix]

OK SO WORSE COMES TO WORSE I WANT IDEAS OF SOLUTIONS TO COMMENCE. NO MORE THEORY LETS GET DOWN TO BUSINESS.

ex- alt cryptos viability to resist attack ... successful features of alt cryptos possible to implement into future BTC source code.

BRAINSTORM WITH ME

[chowderman]

Cool stuff, +1 NSA

[Spendulus]

We can't assume that the NSA doesn't already have these capabilities. If we're hearing about it, it's already too late.

No, this is simply not true.   That's giving them almost magical and superhuman abilities.  They are bound by the laws of physics and the rate of scientific progress.

[AnonyMint]

Yeah we are getting down to business.