Editing Encryption (section)

== Limitations ==
Encryption is used in the 21st century to protect digital data and information systems. As computing power increased over the years, encryption technology has only become more advanced and secure. However, this advancement in technology has also exposed a potential limitation of today's encryption methods.

The length of the encryption key is an indicator of the strength of the encryption method.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Abood |first1=Omar G. |last2=Guirguis |first2=Shawkat K. |title=A Survey on Cryptography Algorithms |journal=International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications  |date=24 July 2018 |volume=8 |issue=7 |doi=10.29322/IJSRP.8.7.2018.p7978 }}</ref> For example, the original encryption key, [[Data Encryption Standard|DES]] (Data Encryption Standard), was 56 bits, meaning it had 2^56 combination possibilities. With today's computing power, a 56-bit key is no longer secure, being vulnerable to [[Brute-force attack|brute force attacks]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Encryption methods: An overview |url=https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/server/security/encryption-methods-an-overview/ |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=IONOS Digital Guide |language=en}}</ref>

[[Quantum computing]] uses properties of [[quantum mechanics]] in order to process large amounts of data simultaneously. Quantum computing has been found to achieve computing speeds thousands of times faster than today's supercomputers.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-05-01|title=Quantum computers vastly outperform supercomputers when it comes to energy efficiency|url=https://physicsworld.com/a/quantum-computers-vastly-outperform-supercomputers-when-it-comes-to-energy-efficiency/|access-date=2021-05-02|website=Physics World|language=en-GB}}</ref> This computing power presents a challenge to today's encryption technology. For example, RSA encryption uses the multiplication of very large prime numbers to create a [[semiprime number]] for its public key. Decoding this key without its private key requires this semiprime number to be factored, which can take a very long time to do with modern computers. It would take a supercomputer anywhere between weeks to months to factor in this key.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} However, quantum computing can use [[quantum algorithm]]s to factor this semiprime number in the same amount of time it takes for normal computers to generate it. This would make all data protected by current public-key encryption vulnerable to quantum computing attacks.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sharma |first1=Moolchand |last2=Choudhary |first2=Vikas |last3=Bhatia |first3=R. S. |last4=Malik |first4=Sahil |last5=Raina |first5=Anshuman |last6=Khandelwal |first6=Harshit |title=Leveraging the power of quantum computing for breaking RSA encryption |journal=Cyber-Physical Systems |date=3 April 2021 |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=73–92 |doi=10.1080/23335777.2020.1811384 |s2cid=225312133 }}</ref> Other encryption techniques like [[Elliptic-curve cryptography|elliptic curve cryptography]] and symmetric key encryption are also vulnerable to quantum computing.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

While quantum computing could be a threat to encryption security in the future, quantum computing as it currently stands is still very limited. Quantum computing currently is not commercially available, cannot handle large amounts of code, and only exists as computational devices, not computers.<ref name=":3">{{cite journal |last1=Solenov |first1=Dmitry |last2=Brieler |first2=Jay |last3=Scherrer |first3=Jeffrey F. |title=The Potential of Quantum Computing and Machine Learning to Advance Clinical Research and Change the Practice of Medicine |journal=Missouri Medicine |date=2018 |volume=115 |issue=5 |pages=463–467 |pmc=6205278 |pmid=30385997 }}</ref> Furthermore, quantum computing advancements will be able to be used in favor of encryption as well. The [[National Security Agency]] (NSA) is currently preparing post-quantum encryption standards for the future.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Post-Quantum Cybersecurity Resources|url=https://www.nsa.gov/what-we-do/cybersecurity/post-quantum-cybersecurity-resources/|access-date=2021-01-16|website=www.nsa.gov|archive-date=2021-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118015943/https://www.nsa.gov/what-we-do/cybersecurity/post-quantum-cybersecurity-resources/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Quantum encryption promises a level of security that will be able to counter the threat of quantum computing.<ref name=":3" />