How will Shor's Algorithm realistically affect our current RSA-2048 encryption standards?

All answers to this question.

We are currently in the NISQ (Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum) era, meaning we don't have the error-corrected qubits needed to run Shor's effectively for large primes yet. However, "harvest now, decrypt later" is a very real threat. State actors are likely collecting encrypted data today to decrypt it once the hardware catches up. I recommend starting your transition to Crystals-Kyber or Dilithium now for long-term data retention projects. The transition period for infrastructure usually takes 5-10 years anyway.

   Answered 2024-05-13 by Margaret Shepherd

Are you looking into Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) as a physical layer solution, or are you strictly sticking to mathematical post-quantum algorithm updates?

   Answered 2024-05-14 by Steven Douglas

• Steven, we are looking at software-based PQC first because QKD requires specialized fiber-optic hardware that isn't feasible for our global remote offices. Mathematical PQC is much easier to deploy across our existing VPN and TLS stacks, though it does come with larger signature sizes and higher latency that we need to benchmark

     Commented 2024-05-15 by Gregory Vance

Don't panic yet. Most experts suggest we need millions of physical qubits for RSA-2048, and we are only in the hundreds. Focus on crypto-agility instead.

   Answered 2024-05-16 by Laura Bennett

• Laura is right. "Crypto-agility" is the keyword here. It’s about building systems where you can swap out algorithms without rebuilding the entire architecture when the time comes.

     Commented 2024-05-17 by Margaret Shepherd