A quantum security leap?

Even as computers get more powerful, there is still sufficient room to increase RSA key length to ensure that it takes too long for current computer technology to crack quickly".

Paul Kocher, chief executive of Cryptography Research, is even more scathing when he insists that the only thing going for quantum cryptography is a cool name and if it was called something long and unpronounceable nobody would even care. "For quantum cryptography to work, each entity must have a direct, uninterrupted optical link with each other entity" Kocher confirms, calculating that "if there were 100 endpoints in a network, it would take 4950 different fibre optic cables to connect them all. In contrast, cryptography based on mathematical principles does a fine job and can use existing packet switched networks".

But Kocher also claims that quantum cryptography doesn't fix the right problem and creates new risks.

Davey Winder

Davey is a three-decade veteran technology journalist specialising in cybersecurity and privacy matters and has been a Contributing Editor at PC Pro magazine since the first issue was published in 1994. He's also a Senior Contributor at Forbes, and co-founder of the Forbes Straight Talking Cyber video project that won the ‘Most Educational Content’ category at the 2021 European Cybersecurity Blogger Awards.

Davey has also picked up many other awards over the years, including the Security Serious ‘Cyber Writer of the Year’ title in 2020. As well as being the only three-time winner of the BT Security Journalist of the Year award (2006, 2008, 2010) Davey was also named BT Technology Journalist of the Year in 1996 for a forward-looking feature in PC Pro Magazine called ‘Threats to the Internet.’ In 2011 he was honoured with the Enigma Award for a lifetime contribution to IT security journalism which, thankfully, didn’t end his ongoing contributions - or his life for that matter.

You can follow Davey on Twitter @happygeek, or email him at davey@happygeek.com.