Quantum computers may soon be able to crack encryption methods in use today, so plans are already under way to replace them with new, secure algorithms. Now it seems the US National Security Agency may be undermining that process
Others know a lot more about this then I do. The short answer is that some problems that are hard to solve now can be easily solved with quantum computers. Factorization of large integers is one of those things that is easily solved and public key crypto is based on that sort of problem. Hence the panic. Symmetric key crypto is not.
I think it comes down to just because quantum computers can solve some problems easily it does not mean they can solve all problems easily. Each situation needs to be looked at.
Others know a lot more about this then I do. The short answer is that some problems that are hard to solve now can be easily solved with quantum computers. Factorization of large integers is one of those things that is easily solved and public key crypto is based on that sort of problem. Hence the panic. Symmetric key crypto is not.
I think it comes down to just because quantum computers can solve some problems easily it does not mean they can solve all problems easily. Each situation needs to be looked at.