Progress in Quantum Computing Cryptography Attacks

Due to the limitations of hardware, the development of universal quantum computer devices is slow. At present, the maximum integer factorization by general Shor's algorithm is 85 (using the characteristics of Fermat numbers to factor the integer 85 with 8 qubits), which is not a threat to the practical 1024-bit RSA by Shor's algorithm. Since the universal quantum computer cannot be practical in a short time, the modern cryptography is still secure enough now. Quantum computing cryptography attack needs to explore new ways to enhance its quantum attacking ability: Firstly, whether quantum computing can assist/accelerate traditional cryptography attack mode and expand its more powerful quantum attacking ability on the basis of the existing quantum computing. Secondly, it is necessary to find quantum computing algorithms other than Shor's algorithm to explore quantum computing cryptographic attack. In this paper, various existing algorithms for integer factorization algorithms of quantum computing are studied and show optimistic potentials of quantum annealing algorithm and D-Wave quantum computer for deciphering the RSA cryptosystem. Such as Shor's algorithm (factor up to 85) via different platforms (like Hua-Wei quantum computing platform), quantum adiabatic computation via NMR (291311), D-Wave (purchased by Lockheed Martin and Google etc., has been initially used for image processing, machine learning, combinatorial optimization, and software verification etc.) quantum computer (factored up to 376289), quantum computing software environment provided by D-Wave (factor the integer 1001677 with 87 qubits) to obtain a higher success rate and extend it to a larger factorization scale. Actually, D-Wave using quantum annealing may be closer to cracking practical RSA codes than a general-purpose quantum computer (IBM) using Shor's algorithm. In addition, the model limitations and precision problems existing in the expansion of integer factorization to a larger scale are discussed. Majorities of scholars think Shor's algorithm as the unique and powerful quantum algorithm for cryptanalysis of RSA. Therefore, the current state of post-quantum cryptography research exclusively referred to potential threatens of Shor's algorithm. This paper analyzes the RSA deciphering method based on D-Wave quantum annealing principle, which is a new public key cryptography attack algorithm for quantum computing, and it is fundamentally different from Shor's algorithm in principle. It is the second effective quantum attack method (RSA deciphering) in addition to Shor's algorithm. Thus, the post-quantum cryptography research should further consider the potentials of D-Wave quantum computer for deciphering the RSA cryptosystem in future. Furthermore, Grover's quantum searching algorithm is applied to the elliptic curve side channel attack to expand its attack capability. It is a new effective public key cryptosystem attack method, which is helpful to expand the attack of quantum computing on other public key cryptosystem constitutions. Finally, the possibility of quantum artificial intelligence algorithm attacking NTRU and other post-quantum cryptography is discussed. It is necessary to explore a new cryptographic scheme that can resist the attack of quantum computing, and combine evolutionary cryptography with quantum artificial intelligence, which is expected to be applied to the design and analysis of cryptography algorithms in the post-quantum cryptography. © 2020, Science Press. All right reserved.