How Quantum Computers Break The Internet

Quantum computers have the potential to break the internet as we know it due to their ability to break the encryption methods currently used to protect our digital data. This is often referred to as: o "Q-day".

The most common encryption method used today is RSA encryption, which is secure because it is computationally difficult for a classical computer to factor large prime numbers; This is an important step in breaking encryption. However, in 1994, American mathematician Peter Shor developed an algorithm that could theoretically run on a powerful quantum computer and break the RSA encryption protocol.

Quantum computers use qubits that can represent 0, 1, or both simultaneously. This allows them to handle multiple possibilities simultaneously, making them have the potential to break encryption codes. However, current quantum computers, such as IBM's Osprey computer, have only a few hundred qubits; this number is much less than the million believed to be needed to break RSA encryption.

While the threat is real, it is important to note that the development of quantum computers capable of breaking RSA encryption is likely a decade or more away. Meanwhile, researchers are working on post-quantum cryptography methods that will be resilient to quantum computing attacks.
Post-quantum cryptography refers to cryptographic algorithms (usually public key algorithms) that are considered secure against attack by a quantum computer. This is not a single method, but a class of methods. Some of the most common types are lattice-based encryption, multivariate encryption, hash-based encryption, code-based encryption, and other
In conclusion, while quantum computers have the potential to break the internet by cracking current encryption methods, the development of such computers is still in progress, and researchers are concurrently developing new encryption methods to secure data in the post-quantum era. Therefore, while the threat is real, there are ongoing efforts to mitigate it. It’s a fascinating field that combines computer science, physics, and mathematics, and is continually evolving.