Latest news with #Q-Day
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bitcoin Traders Are Discussing BTC's Record High, but Quantum Computing Is Threatening the Math Behind It
A new report by Capgemini warns that quantum computing may break the widely used public-key cryptographic systems within the next decade — threatening everything from online banking to blockchain security. The report did not single out bitcoin (BTC), but focused on encryption systems such as RSA and ECC — the same cryptographic primitives that underpin crypto wallets, transaction signatures, and key security in most blockchains. Bitcoin relies on elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) to secure wallet addresses and validate ownership. But ECC, like RSA, is vulnerable to Shor's algorithm — a quantum computing method capable of cracking the discrete logarithm problem, the core math behind bitcoin's private keys. Capgemini's findings were based on a survey of 1,000 large organizations across 13 countries. Of those, 70% are either preparing for or actively implementing post-quantum cryptography (PQC) — a new class of algorithms designed to resist quantum attacks. Yet only 15% of respondents were considered 'quantum-safe champions,' and just 2% of cybersecurity budgets globally are allocated toward this transition. 'Every encrypted asset today could become tomorrow's breach,' the report warned, referring to so-called 'harvest now, decrypt later' attacks. These involve stockpiling encrypted data now in hopes that quantum computers can break it later — a real risk for any blockchain with exposed public keys. In bitcoin's case, that includes over 25% of all coins, which have revealed their public keys and would be immediately vulnerable if Q-Day — the hypothetical moment quantum machines can break modern encryption — arrives. Earlier this week, a draft proposal by Bitcoin developer Jameson Lopp and other researchers outlined a phased plan to freeze coins secured by legacy cryptography, including those in early pay-to-pubkey addresses like Satoshi Nakamoto's wallets. The idea is to push users toward quantum-resistant formats before attackers can sweep dormant funds unnoticed. 'This proposal is radically different from any in Bitcoin's history just as the threat posed by quantum computing is radically different from any other threat in Bitcoin's history,' the authors wrote, as CoinDesk reported. While the timeline for Q-Day remains uncertain, Capgemini's report notes that breakthroughs in quantum error correction, hardware design, and algorithm efficiency have accelerated over the past five years. In some scenarios, researchers believe a cryptographically relevant quantum computer (CRQC) could emerge before 2030. Meanwhile, governments are acting. The U.S. NSA plans to deprecate RSA and ECC by 2035, and NIST has finalized several PQC algorithms like Kyber and Dilithium for public use, Capgemini said. Cloudflare, Apple, and AWS have begun integrating them, but as of Friday no major blockchain network (i.e. with tokens in the top ten by market capitalization) has made such moves. As such, bitcoin's quantum debate remains theoretical and all steps being taken are preemptive. But as institutions, regulators, and tech giants prepare for a cryptographic reset, the math behind crypto's security may not hold in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Tom's Guide
02-07-2025
- Tom's Guide
Experts warn Q-Day may arrive in less than 2 years – but how vulnerable is our data?
Encryption is what protects your data from hackers and third-parties. It keeps your data hidden, safe, and decryption is required to read it. All the best VPNs utilise AES-256 bit encryption or similar – but a growing number have adopted post-quantum encryption. The eventual widespread adoption of quantum computers will make all standard encryption redundant. There is currently no danger of your data being compromised, but post-quantum encryption will be needed sooner rather than later. However, there is a worry that the day current encryption standards can be broken – known as Q-Day – will arrive sooner than expected and we'll be left unprepared. Post-quantum encryption is what can keep our data safe. It's being implemented but it's not yet the norm. Do we need to panic or is there still time to protect our data? NordVPN Plus: $20 Amazon gift card + 4 months FREEWe rate NordVPN as the #1 VPN on the market. That's because it's lightning fast, easy-to-use, and perfect for streaming. It's also very secure, protecting all your devices with post-quantum encryption. What you'll get...• Protection for up to 10 devices• Speeds of 950 Mbps+• Streaming service unblocking, including Netflix• Post-quantum encryption• Threat Protection Pro• NordPass password manager• 30-day money-back guarantee• $20 Amazon gift card (for a limited time only)• 28 months protection for $3.76 per month ($105.36 up front pre-tax) AES-256 has been the industry standard for a long time and secures large parts of the internet and various networks. It's used primarily with the OpenVPN protocol, and it's fast, effective at protecting large quantities of data, and can currently withstand all known attacks. ChaCha20 is a similarly tough encryption cipher that's used by the modern WireGuard protocol. It's 256-bit, making is roughly as secure as AES-256, and is generally a little faster on everyday devices. RSA encryption is another popular encryption type, and has been around since 1977. It's mainly used to encrypt the keys used in AES-256, and isn't tough enough to be used alone. However, we know that technology never stands still. The invention, and inevitable widespread adoption, of quantum computers mean that these forms of encryption will become breakable and a new post-quantum encryption standard is needed. In August 2024, after years of research, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released its first three finalized post-quantum encryption standards: Q-Day is the name given to the point in time when quantum computers become widely available and are strong enough to break all existing encryption standards. It will represent a fundamental altering of the cryptography landscape. This has been predicted to be anytime between 2030 and 2050. But recent quantum computing advances in China have led some experts to warn that Q-Day may arrive sooner than we think – and that some encryption standards will be broken in less than two years. News from China has left some experts hypothesizing that Q-Day may occur sooner than we think. Using a quantum computer built by D-Wave, researchers at Shanghai University successfully cracked 22-bit RSA encryption. RSA is tough but generally weaker than AES-256 bit encryption, and production-grade RSA is also much larger than 22-bit. An 829-bit RSA key is currently the largest ever cracked with traditional, non-quantum methods – it took weeks of supercomputer power. However, what is concerning experts is the speed at which researchers jumped from 19-bit to 22-bit RSA. So how long will it now take a quantum computer to crack an 829-bit RSA key or higher? How long until it AES-256 is under threat? We might be overreacting, but we can't predict the rate at which quantum computing will develop and that's why it's important post-quantum cryptography is widely implemented. David Carvalho, founder and CEO of decentralized post-quantum infrastructure Naoris Protocol commented on the news: "The quantum threat is getting very real, very fast," he said, and described the speed of progression from 19-bit to 22-bit encryption cracking as "terrifying." "It's clearly only a matter of time until quantum computers can break highly secure algorithms, and that time is quickly running out." "It's complacent to assume we even have five years left before RSA encryption can be broken – it's more like 24-36 months." Carvalho said that other experts believe there's a one-in-seven chance of that occurring next year. "To be safe, companies looking to protect encrypted data or digital assets must already transition to post-quantum cryptography this year – this is a recommendation from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) itself," he added. "Every single day this is delayed, cybercriminals are getting closer to hacking every system that matters, and once hacked, what's lost can never be recovered. It's getting far too close for comfort now." Back in April, we asked if post-quantum VPNs were necessary now or a premature move. Every VPN should be adopting post-quantum encryption, it's just a matter of when. Combining post-quantum encryption with existing VPN protocols is tricky, and could be a major reason as to why we've not seen more VPNs implement it. For example, WireGuard – the most popular VPN protocol – isn't fully quantum secure by default. WireGuard admits this limitation and suggests running a post-quantum "handshake" on top of WireGuard. NordVPN and ExpressVPN both offer post-quantum encryption across the board. However, they both do this via their own unique, WireGuard-inspired protocols NordLynx and Lightway. ExpressVPN was the first leading VPN to introduce post-quantum encryption across the board. At the time, Chief Engineering Officer Pete Membrey said "ML-KEM delivers stronger, future-proof encryption to keep you secure against the challenges of tomorrow." NordVPN introduced full post-quantum support earlier this year. Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN said: "By integrating PQE into our VPN infrastructure, we're taking a proactive step to ensure long-term confidentiality and resilience for our customers' data, both now and in a post-quantum future." There is an argument that post-quantum encryption can't be fully tested yet, due to the lack of real-world quantum threats. Some VPNs, like Proton VPN and Surfshark, want to guarantee its effectiveness and ensure they can launch full post-quantum encryption support in one go. Speaking to Tom's Guide in April, David Peterson, General Manager of Proton VPN said Proton VPN "still some way off" from implementing post-quantum encryption. "Developing post-quantum encrypted technologies is a marathon, not a sprint, and we want to prepare properly so that these technologies only need to be deployed once across the whole Proton ecosystem," Peterson explained. He added that "we need to battle-test these quantum-resistant algorithms, and to make sure they are standardised." It remains to be seen how many VPNs will have adopted post-quantum encryption by the end of 2025. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Crypto Ready for Q-Day?
Are you ready for Q-Day? Do you even know what Q-Day is? If you don't, you're sleepwalking into a digital apocalypse that's not coming—it's already here. Q-Day isn't some distant theoretical event. It's the moment quantum computing shatters every lock, breaks every code, and renders every secret naked. While your most powerful supercomputer would need billions of years to crack modern encryption that currently secures crypto wallets, blockchains, digital banking assets, and WhatsApp chats, a quantum computer could do it over lunch. Every "secure" transaction, every "private" communication, every "protected" system becomes an open book. As Jay Gambetta, Vice President of IBM Quantum, warns: "The quantum threat isn't coming—it's here. Nation-states are harvesting encrypted data TODAY, betting they'll decrypt it tomorrow. If you're not quantum-safe now, you're already compromised." Let me be brutally clear: whether Q-Day arrives in one year, two years, or five years is completely irrelevant. Why? Because of "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" attacks. Right now, as you read this, malicious nation states and criminal actors are vacuuming up encrypted data including medical records, financial transactions, state secrets, and your personal communications. They can't read it today, but they're betting on quantum to unlock it tomorrow. Computer scientist Deborah Frincke from Sandia National Laboratories doesn't mince words: "Pretty much anything that says a person is who they say they are is underpinned by encryption. Some of the most sensitive and valuable infrastructure that we have would be open to somebody coming in and pretending to be the rightful owner and issuing commands to shut down networks, influence the energy grid, or create financial disruption." In May 2025, BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager with $11.6 trillion under management, did something unprecedented. They added quantum computing as a critical risk warning to their Bitcoin ETF filing, warning that quantum advances could "undermine the viability" of cryptographic algorithms used not just in Bitcoin but across the entire global tech stack. Researchers warn that 4 million bitcoin—roughly 25% of all usable BTC—could be stolen once quantum computers advance enough to break their encryption. Leading quantum expert. It's not just Bitcoin. Ethereum and most blockchains today rely on Elliptic Curve Cryptography, and quantum will shatter that. Experts predict that Q-Day will come within the next five-to-seven years, but it could be sooner. Quantum is coming for bitcoin like meteors came for the dinosaurs. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has already proposed emergency hard-fork solutions for when quantum computers crack Ethereum accounts. The Ethereum blockchain would need to be paused for an unknown time until it's restored to a new quantum-resistant blockchain, a process that could take years. Behind closed doors at private crypto conferences, influential cryptographers and business leaders are concerned about a potential catastrophe where a computer strong enough to reverse engineer wallets' private keys could flood exchanges with ancient Bitcoin, sending prices spiraling. This isn't about losing your Netflix password. This is about the complete collapse of digital trust across Bitcoin wallets, Ethereum smart contracts, DeFi protocols, banking systems, power grids, military communications, healthcare records, and government secrets. By leveraging its computational power, a quantum miner could consistently solve the mathematical puzzles required to add new blocks to the blockchain, transforming mining from a decentralized global industry into an oligopoly controlled by quantum-capable entities. Some optimists say we have until 2030 before quantum computers can break encryption. They're missing the point entirely. The damage is being done today. Every piece of data transmitted now is a future casualty. According to a December 2023 Reuters report, Tilo Kunz of cybersecurity firm Quantum Defen5e told Defense Information Systems Agency officials that Q-day could come as soon as 2025. Google Quantum AI has already lowered the barrier to breaking widely used RSA-2048 encryption to fewer than one million qubits, dramatically reducing the resources needed for crypto-breaking quantum attacks. Forget patches, updates, or hoping someone else will solve this. Quantum resistance must be built into the foundation, not bolted on as an afterthought. We need post-quantum cryptography that can withstand both classical and quantum attacks, quantum-resistant digital signatures using hash-based and lattice-based cryptography, complete blockchain infrastructure overhauls, immediate migration from vulnerable crypto addresses, and action now, not committees discussing action later. QRL's Iain Wood warns: "It is now no longer controversial to say that all blockchains that exist by 2035 will have to be post-quantum secure." Researchers at the University of Kent say that upgrading to post-quantum crypto-systems could take 75 days of downtime for Bitcoin, or over 300 days if the network operated at 75% capacity. Think about what that means for a trillion-dollar asset class. Q-Day isn't a future problem—it's a present crisis. While everyone's chasing AI dreams, the quantum nightmare is unfolding. The harvest is happening now. The decryption is coming. 2025 is probably our last chance to start migration to post-quantum cryptography before we are all undone by cryptographically relevant quantum computers. Stop asking when Q-Day will arrive. It's here. The only question is: will you be ready, or will you be roadkill on the quantum highway? In the quantum age, there are only two types of data: quantum-safe and future-compromised. For crypto holders, there are only two types of digital assets: post-quantum secured and future-worthless. Your Bitcoin, your Ethereum, your entire crypto portfolio hangs in the balance. The quantum clock is ticking, and every second you wait is another step toward total cryptographic annihilation. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Tom's Guide
20-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
NordVPN announces post-quantum encryption support for all applications
NordVPN has announced that post-quantum encryption (PQE) is now available on all its platforms. From our testing, we rate NordVPN as the best VPN available, and it has overseen a staggered approach to its PQE protection. Its implementation is made possible thanks to the NordLynx protocol. Widespread adoption of quantum computers isn't far off. They will soon be able to crack the current AES-256 encryption with ease – an event known as Q-Day – so adopting PQE is a must for VPN providers. There's a debate over whether rolling out PQE is necessary now or a premature move. But regardless of when, PQE is needed – and here's how NordVPN is handling it. NordVPN: the best VPN availableNordVPN is our #1 VPN. It's super fast, packed full of features, and great for streaming. You can protect up to 10 devices on one plan – with full support for post-quantum encryption. The 2-year plan starts at $3.39 per month ($81.36 up front plus tax). Plus, the plan comes with a free 1 GB Saily eSIM and a 30-day money-back guarantee. September 2024 saw NordVPN first launch PQE, rolling it out on its Linux VPN app. The VPN provider set a target of early 2025 for all other platforms to receive PQE. PQE is now available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, along with protection for tvOS and Android TV. There are some limitations to NordVPN's PQE support. It only works with the NordLynx protocol, so won't activate when you use Dedicated IP, OpenVPN, obfuscated servers, or NordWhisper. Enabling PQE will also turn off Meshnet because the features are not compatible. PQE is enabled via a toggle switch. Head to "Settings" and then "Connections" on your NordVPN app and turn PQE on. Once done, PQE will automatically be activated whenever you connect to a server via the NordLynx protocol. NordLynx is NordVPN's custom VPN protocol. It's based on WireGuard, and is known for its speed and security. NordVPN has implemented PQE in accordance with standards set by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST has spent years researching and testing PQE methods and finalized three standards in August 2024. "As quantum computing advances, the traditional encryption methods used by most VPN protocols today will eventually become vulnerable," said Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN. "By integrating PQE into our VPN infrastructure, we're taking a proactive step to ensure long-term confidentiality and resilience for our customers' data, both now and in a post-quantum future." ExpressVPN and Mullvad are the only other two mainstream providers to offer PQE protection across the board. ExpressVPN integrated PQE into its Lightway protocol in January 2025, while Mullvad launched its PQE strategy back in 2017. PureVPN and Windscribe also support PQE, but not for all applications. IPVanish is planning a 2025 release for PQE support and Surfshark said it is "actively implementing PQE now." Proton VPN is taking a slower approach and doesn't want to rush its implementation. Proton VPN General Manager, David Peterson, said the provider wanted to release PQE support "once across the whole Proton ecosystem" and described PQE technologies as "a marathon, not a sprint."
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Unhackable quantum messages travel 158 miles without cryogenics for first time
Cybersecurity experts often warn that a moment known as Q-Day is nearby—a day when quantum computers will become powerful enough to break all the encryption methods we currently rely on to keep our information secure. Q-Day is not some imaginary situation but a real-world threat that could disrupt the internet and global digital infrastructure. Various government agencies and private organizations are already taking measures to withstand attacks from powerful quantum computers. These measures include the development of new encryption methods designed to resist quantum attacks, as well as exploring techniques like quantum key distribution (QKD) to secure communications at a fundamental level. Recently, a team of researchers from Toshiba Europe successfully transmitted messages over a 254-kilometer (~158 miles) stretch of existing fiber-optic infrastructure using QKD cryptography. Such a feat has been achieved for the first time. Moreover, unlike typical quantum communication setups, this method didn't require a cryogenic system or an advanced, high-tech laser. 'This work opens the door to practical quantum networks without needing exotic hardware,' Mirko Pittaluga, one of the researchers, said in an interview with IEEE Spectrum. To achieve long-distance quantum messaging, the researchers set up a network across 254 kilometers of commercial optical fiber in Germany, linking data centers in Frankfurt and Kehl, with a central relay node in Kirchfeld. In most quantum communication systems, keeping the light waves precisely synchronized over long distances requires stable lasers. However, instead of using expensive ultrastable lasers, the researchers used a simpler method. The central node in Kirchfeld sent laser beams to both Frankfurt and Kehl, providing a common reference. This allowed the researchers to synchronize the light phases effectively without needing highly specialized equipment. For detecting weak quantum signals, traditional systems usually rely on superconducting nanowire detectors, which are very sensitive but require costly and bulky cryogenic cooling units. The team instead used avalanche photodiodes, semiconductor devices capable of detecting single photons. Avalanche photodiodes are much cheaper and operate at room temperature, but they are less efficient and more prone to false detections. To overcome these limitations, the researchers sent a reference laser pulse along with the quantum data and installed two sets of avalanche photodiodes at each receiving station. One set dealt with quantum communication, while the other set monitored the reference signals. This setup helped correct errors caused by vibrations, temperature changes, and other disturbances in the optical fiber cables. All these clever techniques allowed the researchers to successfully demonstrate QKD over a 254 km optical fiber network, which is double the distance achieved during previous experiments. Although, for now, the system is capable of transmitting data at only 110 bits per second, it still marks a significant breakthrough for something that was once thought to be impossible. The researchers suggest that boosting the data rate beyond 110 bits per second is the next big goal. One simple way to do this is by making the system encode faster. For instance, currently, it runs at 500 megahertz. Using existing technology, it could be scaled up to a few gigahertz. This alone could boost the data transmission rate by nearly ten times. Moreover, they are also working on building quantum repeaters, special devices that could prevent signal losses and further increase the distance and speed of quantum messaging. Hopefully, further research will help scientists realize all these goals soon, helping to build a more secure digital world before Q-Day arrives. The study is published in the journal Nature.
