Quantum leap: Passwords in the new era of computing security

Last August, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released its first three finalized post-quantum encryption standards, designed to withstand attacks from quantum computers. It was the latest sign of a changing security world – but what does it all mean for passwords? It’s easy to see why there’s such excitement about quantum computing. By harnessing the properties of the quantum world, computers can make calculations that simply wouldn’t be possible with ‘normal’ systems. This could transform computing as we know it, with huge potential benefits in everything from medicine to finance. However, the technology also poses significant dangers, potentially turbocharging cyberattacks. Prime position So where is the danger? As NIST has noted, conventional cryptographic algorithms depend on “the difficulty conventional computers have with factoring large numbers”. The algorithms pick two big prime numbers and multiply them to get an even larger number. A computer mus ... Read full article.