Over the last several months, I have been digging deeper and deeper into quantum computing (QC). QC has emerged as both a promise and a threat due to its potential to solve complex problems at speeds unimaginable by classical computers. I foresee quantum computing revolutionizing various fields, especially cryptography.
My interest in QC began as an accident. I was studying my Grandfather’s “panacoustic” musical system and I stumbled onto qubits (which is a story in and of itself), which are the QC analog of classical bits. The more I read about qubits, the more I wanted to learn about how I can use them. What strikes me the most is that qubits operate within a state of superposition, which mean that they exist in multiple states simultaneously. While superposition is mathematically complex, what’s important is that it enables qubits to perform parallel computations at one time. The most useful function that qubits perform, to me, is the processing of something called, Shor’s algorithm. This algorithm is capable of efficiently factoring large numbers and breaking cryptographic protocols like RSA and ECC.
Because of this ability, I got to thinking, can quantum computing kill the dark web?
Now, I hate the dark web. Its very existence, to me, is the embodiment and enablement of all that’s evil. When I was the CIO of a NM state agency, malicious actors carried out a cyberattack and I was tasked with determining its impact. This research exposed me to the dark web and its evil and I don’t think I’ll ever recover from learning what I learned.
However, one good thing I learned that the dark web uses common cryptographic algorithms such as RSA and ECC to maintain anonymity and secure communications. RSA, for example, is robust against classical computers, but quantum computers can “break” the encryption due to Shor’s algorithm.
As quantum computing matures, the encryption methods safeguarding the dark web could become obsolete, potentially exposing its vulnerabilities. However, the demise of the dark web at the hands of quantum computing remains my hazy dream. While experimental advancements in quantum algorithms have demonstrated their potential to compromise existing encryption standards, practical implementation remains challenging. Current quantum computers lack the coherence and scalability necessary to execute complex algorithms on a large scale, limiting their effectiveness in breaching cryptographic barriers.
Moreover, like all things evil, the dark web is adaptive and resilient. It too evolves in response to technological advancements and law enforcement interventions. As quantum computing research progresses, efforts to enhance cryptographic protocols resistant to quantum attacks are also underway. And I can assure everybody that those who operate the dark web are smart enough to know what’s coming.
Really, quantum computing can kill the dark web’s encryption. However, the dark web’s resilience, coupled with ongoing advancements in post-quantum cryptography, suggests that it won’t happen soon. My other crazy and hazy dream is that humanity loses its appetite for evil. Until then, I will keep working within QC as a weapon against the evil of the dark web. (I’ll use music to fight humanity’s appetite for evil)…
