NSA seeks to build quantum computer that could crack most types of encryption
In room-size metal boxes secure against electromagnetic leaks, the National Security Agency is racing to build a computer that could break nearly every kind of encryption used to protect banking, medical, business and government records around the world.
According to documents provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the effort to build “a cryptologically useful quantum computer” — a machine exponentially faster than classical computers — is part of a $79.7 million research program titled “Penetrating Hard Targets.” Much of the work is hosted under classified contracts at a laboratory in College Park, Md.
[Read an annotated description of the Penetrating Hard Targets project]
The development of a quantum computer has long been a goal of many in the scientific community, with revolutionary implications for fields such as medicine as well as for the NSA’s code-breaking mission. With such technology, all current forms of public key encryption would be broken, including those used on many secure Web sites as well as the type used to protect state secrets.
Physicists and computer scientists have long speculated about whether the NSA’s efforts are more advanced than those of the best civilian labs. Although the full extent of the agency’s research remains unknown, the documents provided by Snowden suggest that the NSA is no closer to success than others in the scientific community.
“It seems improbable that the NSA could be that far ahead of the open world without anybody knowing it,” said Scott Aaronson, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The NSA appears to regard itself as running neck and neck with quantum computing labs sponsored by the European Union and the Swiss government, with steady progress but little prospect of an immediate breakthrough.
“The geographic scope has narrowed from a global effort to a discrete focus on the European Union and Switzerland,” one NSA document states.
Seth Lloyd, an MIT professor of quantum mechanical engineering, said the NSA’s focus is not misplaced. “The E.U. and Switzerland have made significant advances over the last decade and have caught up to the U.S. in quantum computing technology,” he said.
The NSA declined to comment for this article.
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That’s hyper-retarded, sir.
Quantum computers, if/when they are actually operational, won’t crack one-time pad encryption.
“…the documents provided by Snowden suggest that the NSA is no closer to success than others in the scientific community.”
At only $79.7million we should have had the NSA build the obamacare website and saved a shitload of dough.
The LPS was doing a bunch of kool shit 30 years ago for the NSA. Had some sharp, no nonsense guys who collaborated with the Physics Dept. of the University of Maryland. It was one of those superbly outfitted labs financed entirely by the NSA and turned out some really excellent work.
I remember a guy built a stainless steel, nickle plated, 0.25 degree K vessel with a sapphire lens for testing chips they were trying to tune to the exhaust of a Mig-21.
Built it right in the machine shop.
I’d like to see them break inner urban city speak. Ya’no whut Ib sayin?
Anyways, we had some experience with the German enigma machines in WWII and didn’t let the Germans onto knowing we cracked the code for 2 years. It’s conceivable, based on history, the government does possess unknown technology. The difference today is US citizens are the enemy.
And it’s always good that everybody who hates us knows what we’re working on………
Just a question….Is Homer Simpson running our plucking government????
Rand Paul vs. Obama: Senator TO LEAD CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST President OVER NSA SPYING
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/01/03/Rand-Paul-to-Sue-Obama-over-NSA-Spying
@ODA315 – I would infinitely prefer Homer over the evil bastards presently in power. Homer is merely stupid and reckless.
“A creepy ass encryption cracker”
Why did that make me think of George Soros?
Or is that a creepy ass crypt keeper… Cracker?
But will it beat Deep Blue at chess?
You think China is not trying to build one too? They just have better security procedures.
In the name of security and it will be paid for by the very people that will be subjected to it…US.
Here, crack this…Fa-Q!
Government has become a criminal conspiracy who’s only goal is to steal everything of value in the country, break anything left, and scatter the pieces.
About 10 minutes after the NSA succeeds someone will hack it.