Quantum computing is an enigma. On one hand it promises future information security, but it simultaneously threatens all information currently protected by 2048-bit RSA encryption.
Why is this? Put very simply, in our current model of computing, the power comes from parallel processing which can only be ascertained through linking separate processors. Parallel processing is external to the individual processor.
This thinking is reversed in quantum computing, which uses the quantum mechanics principle that a single object can be in multiple places at the same time. This multiplicity can be translated to variables which can in principle be different variables in a single algorithm that can be processed simultaneously. In other words, the parallel processing needed for current computer power is now moved inside a single processor. The computing power and time requirements are both exponentially affected.
The current security of RSA key encryption is based on the premise of creating an impossibly hard problem by factoring very large numbers. Although there are algorithms that can do so, the amount of computing power necessary is immense and easily increased – the effort to break the key grows nearly exponentially with the key size.
This concept that encryption will always remain ahead of the ability to build supercomputers with more and more separate cores operating in parallel and capable of decryption does not apply to quantum computers where the parallelism is effectively increased within the processor. Powerful quantum computers will be able to defeat current RSA encryption relatively easily. It has already been demonstrated that with quantum computers, factorization and discrete logarithms can be solved in polynomial time. A quantum computer can use its inbuilt parallelism to drastically reduce the time taken to crack the key. For example, adding a couple of more digits won’t help as RSA-3072 will be as easily defeated as a 2048 key.
In finding a suitable post-quantum encryption standard, it is useful to consider that the security of RSA encryption is based on two elements: the difficulty of the mathematical problem (factoring large numbers) that needs to be solved, and the assumed lack of any algorithm or method that can solve the problem with current classical computer technology. The quantum threat comes from the increase in computing power together with the existence of an algorithm that can harness that power to solve the problem: both parts are necessary.
This is what we have done at BLAKFX.
At BLAKFX, we design our products with a zealous eye on the future. Therefore, we utilize an over-riding principal we call “22nd Century Data Security” and build accordingly. The result is our Helix22 SDK which we can proudly boast is quantum computing immune.
In our technology engineering, we use multiple symmetric ciphers, and we breakdown the files before encrypting them. Each fragment is encrypted differently and then are put together and encrypted with 3 more different ciphers. Though we are not at liberty to disclose our specific techniques, we utilize symmetric ciphers that are quantum resistant and one of them is quantum immune.
During the key exchange process we encrypt the encryption keys with 2 sets of asymmetric cipher keys with one of them being quantum immune and the other cipher is the strongest one today (before quantum).
Therefore, our encrypted files are never susceptible to a straight up brute force attack because of our algorithms and the way we use each of the ciphers. We don’t try to make the problem harder to solve, we created an impossible problem to piece together.
Our DNA BindingTM protocol is truly a genius approach to data security and a 22nd Century solution.
Helix22 – Zero Risk