Quantum ComputingAnd Possible Threats

David WestenbergerLucas Zurek

What’s Happening Now?

• Silicon-based Computation– Moore’s Law• Transistors• Physical limitation

• Then what’s next?

What is Quantum Computing?

• Quantum Mechanics:– “You don’t understand quantum mechanics – you

just get used to it.”– Richard Feynman

– Qubits– Superposition– Parallelism– Entanglement

How Does a Quantum Computer Work?

Quantum & Copyright

• Making an Image:– Copyright Laws:• Creator holds copyright

– Even if slightly altered

– Using a quantum computer to generate images:• Find every possible image within given parameters• Is this fair?• What would happen to copyright laws?• Threat to artistic images?

• Not necessarily just images…

Quantum & Encryption

• RSA & Elliptic Curve Cryptology (ECC):– Used to secure:

– Software updates, email, online banking, digital signatures, etc.

– Amount of time needed to break a strong 1024-bit RSA code

– From billions of years to minutes

– But quantum computers don’t have an advantage over every type of cryptography scheme

– Any replacement will have some big shoes to fill

What Does a Quantum Computer Look Like?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyX8E4KUkWw

Sources• http://torrentfreak.com/could-quantum-computing-kill-copyright-110731/

• http://www.howstuffworks.com/quantum-computer.htm

• http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-fairuse.html

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyX8E4KUkWw

• http://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/software/cryptographers-take-on-quantum-computers