A mathematics professor and cryptography expert thinks crypto firms need to prioritize setting up defenses against the threat of future quantum attacks.
In a new interview with Ripple, Dr. Massimiliano Sala, a professor at the University of Trento in Italy, warns that future quantum computers could “easily solve problems that are foundational to digital signatures,” undermining crypto asset security.
Sala, the head of the Italian Cryptographic Association, thinks all classical public-key cryptosystems should be replaced with upgraded versions that can maintain security against quantum attacks. He suggests that projects begin to transition immediately.
“The probability of quantum threats materializing may not be imminent, but it is significant enough to warrant proactive measures.”
Sala acknowledges that quantum-resistant systems come with tradeoffs, including increased computational demands and larger data sizes for secure transactions. The cryptography expert suggests that blockchain systems first incorporate quantum-safe elements in less critical areas to avoid undermining the functionality of their networks.
Sala isn’t the first expert to warn about the perils of quantum computing. In 2021, a team of researchers at the University of Sussex examined what level of quantum computing power could threaten the Bitcoin (BTC) blockchain.
Explained team leader Mark Webber,
“State-of-the-art quantum computers today only have 50-100 qubits. Our estimated requirement of 30 [million] to 300 million physical qubits suggests Bitcoin should be considered safe from a quantum attack for now, but devices of this size are generally considered achievable, and future advancements may bring the requirements down further.”
A qubit is a quantum bit, the basic unit when calculating in a quantum system that’s comparable to the ones and zeroes of traditional binary computing.
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