On 20 Dec 2001, at 15:16, Aaron Blosser wrote: > It's when they start producing near instant factors of 1024 to 4096 bit > numbers that we'll have to really think about our current encryption > measures. > > Even if they reduced the time it took to factor such numbers from > millions of years to millions of seconds, the impact on cryptography > will be huge.
Sure! > > But I reckon that by then, someone will have thought of some new > encryption that would remove the advantage that QC has. something > unrelated to factoring large numbers, I'm guessing? Dunno what that > method might be; if I did know, I'd market it and get rich. :-) Fortunately the method exists - outlined in some detail in Simon Singh's excellent "Code Book" is a quantum cryptography technique which is not only unbreakable (even with unlimited quantum computing power) but even allows the recipient to determine if the message has been eavesdropped (not that eavesdropping would do anyone much good!) Incidentally only a couple of weeks ago there was an announcement that a key item of technology required to implement this system - a single photon emitter - has been demonstrated. Quantum cryptography may in fact be already deployed in some government departments (the sort that "don't exist", of course). Regards Brian Beesley _________________________________________________________________________ Unsubscribe & list info -- http://www.ndatech.com/mersenne/signup.htm Mersenne Prime FAQ -- http://www.tasam.com/~lrwiman/FAQ-mers
