Quantum Supremacy Under Siege: The New Cold War in Cryptography

The summary describes a significant cybersecurity breakthrough where Chinese researchers demonstrated a quantum computer factoring a 256-bit RSA key in 72 hours, dramatically accelerating the timeline for quantum threats to current encryption systems from 15-20 years to potentially 5-7 years. This development has triggered widespread concern among security agencies and financial institutions, with major banks forming the Financial Quantum Resilience Coalition with a $2.7 billion fund to implement quantum-resistant cryptography. In response, NIST has approved new post-quantum cryptographic standards based on lattice mathematics. At the same time, nations cooperate (through the 47-nation Quantum-Resistant Cryptography Alliance) and compete (with some countries attempting to compromise new security implementations). The transition to quantum-resistant systems presents massive infrastructure challenges estimated to cost $19.7 trillion globally over the next decade, potentially creating a "cryptographic divide" between wealthy and developing nations in what experts call a fundamental reimagining of digital security.

https://www.ihadnoclue.com/article/1110726109123018753