A team in China has successfully factored a 22-bit RSA integer using a quantum annealing processor, marking a significant breakthrough in the fight against quantum computing threats. The achievement demonstrates the potential for quantum machines to tackle cryptographic problems and poses a substantial threat to multiple full-scale ciphers currently in use today. Despite the small key size, the test matters because it scaled beyond past demonstrations that stopped at 19 bits and required more qubits per variable.
The researchers applied an unconventional approach by translating factorization into a Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization problem, which the D-Wave Advantage system solves by letting qubits tunnel through energy barriers seeking the lowest energy state. The method sidesteps current qubit-count limits of gate machines but pays a price in exponential scaling, resulting in only a 22-bit modulus being cracked this time.
The study’s findings come as concerns over quantum computing security grow, with standards bodies releasing federal standards for post-quantum cryptography in August 2024. The US government has urged agencies to begin swapping vulnerable keys, and businesses are advised to start updating their cryptographic inventories before a full-scale quantum computer arrives.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/china-breaks-rsa-encryption-with-a-quantum-computer-threatening-global-data-security/