July 22, 2024 at 12:52PM
Experts are concerned about the potential of quantum computing systems to break classic RSA encryption. Researchers will discuss the risks and implications of quantum vulnerability at Black Hat USA 2024. They found vulnerabilities in quantum computing platforms and emphasize the need for error correction as quantum computers grow in capacity.
From the meeting notes, the key takeaways are:
1. The concern about quantum computing among cybersecurity experts is not just about its potential to break classic RSA encryption using Shor’s algorithm, but also the vulnerability of quantum computing systems themselves to cyberattacks.
2. Adrian Colesa and Sorin Bolos will be discussing the risks and real-world implications of quantum vulnerability at the upcoming Black Hat USA 2024 conference.
3. Their session will focus on their white paper findings in a session titled “From Weapon to Target: Quantum Computers Paradox” on Thursday, Aug. 8.
4. Transilvania Quantum, a startup based in Romania, is researching the security risks of quantum computing infrastructure.
5. They have been collaborating with Bitdefender, which has expertise in endpoint protection, cloud, and managed cybersecurity tools, to investigate the security risks associated with quantum computing, particularly concerning post-quantum cryptography (PQC).
6. Their research has focused on the potential weaknesses and vulnerabilities of quantum bits (qubits) and the attack surfaces prevalent in quantum computing environments.
7. Organizations using quantum computing capability currently access it through quantum service providers hosted in cloud services or by companies that host their own quantum clouds.
8. There is a growing interest in quantum computing for complex computational workloads in fields such as drug discovery, medical research, and financial services, making them potential targets for cybercriminals.
9. Security often becomes an afterthought for organizations focusing on beating their competitors with new breakthroughs using quantum computing.
10. The researchers identified four ways an attacker could target a quantum computer, which share similar characteristics to classic computing environments, requiring similar security practices.
11. As quantum computers continue to grow in capacity, providers need to focus on error correction to protect against malicious users.