The NSA's trying to build a quantum computer than can crack any encryption

[dlf]

A Quantum computer that can break any (modern day?) encryption? You don't say. Being able to try trillions of possible outcomes in seconds would probably be quite useful.

[bcredeur97]

lets just make AES-320000. problem solved.

[Jogostar]

who the hell cares?

they can watch all my midget porn they want, there is nothing interesting, or illegal going on on my computer. (maybe illegel stuff, but still who cares)

[DarkEcho]

What are they chances they just start coin mining with this.... ? 

[Hans Christian | Teri]

Have not all the latest news articles been pointing to them collecting data on their own civilians, storing information from everyday people (like phone records) now they want to build a computer with the specific task of hacking encrypted information.  I did not say they wanted to hack my hard drive, but what's to say they won't use it to get into emails, phone records, bank details etc? Nothing, but that's the way the wind is blowing.

 

You have to understand that you're simply not that interesting, you're just not. What information about you is it exactly that you don't want them to know? I seriously can't see what all the fuzz is about. It may be immoral to spy on your own citizens but the fact of the matter is that they're not. Your bank details are not interesting to them. Your phone records are not interesting to them. Your emails are not interesting to them. All these things are true unless you truly have something to hide, and I damn well take it you don't. This doesn't mean that the NSA is spying on you only to find that you are not a thread, this means that the NSA is not actively spying on you what so ever. Do you have any idea what kind of resources it would take to spy on 300 million people?

[mr moose]

You have to understand that you're simply not that interesting, you're just not. What information about you is it exactly that you don't want them to know? I seriously can't see what all the fuzz is about. It may be immoral to spy on your own citizens but the fact of the matter is that they're not. Your bank details are not interesting to them. Your phone records are not interesting to them. Your emails are not interesting to them. All these things are true unless you truly have something to hide, and I damn well take it you don't. This doesn't mean that the NSA is spying on you only to find that you are not a thread, this means that the NSA is not actively spying on you what so ever. Do you have any idea what kind of resources it would take to spy on 300 million people?

 

It's not about me or any one individual, it's about have the computing power to run heuristic scans on everybody. they don't need to be interested in individuals, once they have the computer it will be just like a virus scanner looking for suspect code on a machine, they can scan emails, bank details etc for suspect sentences, words or transactions. Not actually targeting any one person, but spying on everyone. 

 

They don't need to spy on all 300million at once, they could easily run heuristic scans on blocks of 10 million with the power offered by quantum computing. and even if that took 6 months to do they would have scanned most of the population within 15 years.

[deathjester]

Dude it's all good. NSA is just trying to help us like Microsoft.

 

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/microsoft-passwords-fido-alliance-trusted-platform-hacking,25418.html

 

I can't wait to get rid of all my passwords for eye scanners. How nice of them. MS cares about us. I think everyone should go out and buy Windows 8 right now. It is SUPER. Cloud = awesome. Getting rid of passwords even better. I can't wait for Windows 9. 

[Coltaine]

who the hell cares?

they can watch all my midget porn they want, there is nothing interesting, or illegal going on on my computer. (maybe illegel stuff, but still who cares)

 

As Logan is wont to say, well why don't you just give me access to your credit card information and e-mails then?

 

It's bad when the population, who should have privacy knows less about their, politicians/state who should be transparent. That's the issue here. Yeah yeah, the state needs a few things to be secret too sure, but it should be at least mostly transparent.

[Jogostar]

As Logan is wont to say, well why don't you just give me access to your credit card information and e-mails then?

 

It's bad when the population, who should have privacy knows less about their, politicians/state who should be transparent. That's the issue here. Yeah yeah, the state needs a few things to be secret too sure, but it should be at least mostly transparent.

well, as long as they're not going to use my credit card and send my e-mails to other, i don't care.

[wpirobotbuilder]

If anyone has motivation to make a practical quantum computer, something nobody has been able to come close to doing, it's the NSA.

 

We're a long way from that.

[Aho]

As Logan is wont to say, well why don't you just give me access to your credit card information and e-mails then?

 

It's bad when the population, who should have privacy knows less about their, politicians/state who should be transparent. That's the issue here. Yeah yeah, the state needs a few things to be secret too sure, but it should be at least mostly transparent.

The argument, "If you don't have anything to hide, then why don't/do you X?" is stupid.

If I said I don't care about the government spying on me because I have nothing to hide, I'm obviously referring to things I do daily, calling, emails, etc... It doesn't mean I'll give someone my credit card information or walk around naked. It's common sense.

[ajoy39]

A Quantum computer that can break any (modern day?) encryption? You don't say. Being able to try trillions of possible outcomes in seconds would probably be quite useful.

*cough* cryptocurrency

[AndThenThereWas1]

There is one encryption that they will never crack... my hand writing. I dont even understand it and i wrote it.

[James_AJ]

it's like I'm getting used to all this and be all like, "yeah whatever it's not like we can do anything about it" (which is true but we shouldn't have that attitude)... just goes to show how psychologically just... downing all this is.

[afa7336]

Very very nice! I'm surprised people don't see the benefits of this, damn it'll be sweet for the US to have this ability!

[afa7336]

So... while everyone sees the evil in this, can I bring you back to the real world for a second and show you a few things this might be used for? Hmmm, lets start off with cracking encrypted communications and/or data of terrorists. How about cracking encrypted communications and/or data of enemies of the United States of America and Her Allies? I would run down a history of cryptography and the vast amount of information there is to show you how breaking codes saved lives but I don't feel like creating a two hundred page forum post. (no lie on the size).

[Sidiox]

So now the NSA also wants a quantum pc? none has succeded in making one so far, so I don't think the NSA will be capable either. 

[mr moose]

So now the NSA also wants a quantum pc? none has succeded in making one so far, so I don't think the NSA will be capable either. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_quantum_computing

 

 

So... while everyone sees the evil in this, can I bring you back to the real world for a second and show you a few things this might be used for? Hmmm, lets start off with cracking encrypted communications and/or data of terrorists. How about cracking encrypted communications and/or data of enemies of the United States of America and Her Allies? I would run down a history of cryptography and the vast amount of information there is to show you how breaking codes saved lives but I don't feel like creating a two hundred page forum post. (no lie on the size).

 

no one ever left the "real world".  while we are all great full for the good things it can do, a lot of people are rightfully suspect of the things they will do that they shouldn't.

[Hans Christian | Teri]

It's not about me or any one individual, it's about have the computing power to run heuristic scans on everybody. they don't need to be interested in individuals, once they have the computer it will be just like a virus scanner looking for suspect code on a machine, they can scan emails, bank details etc for suspect sentences, words or transactions. Not actually targeting any one person, but spying on everyone. 

 

They don't need to spy on all 300million at once, they could easily run heuristic scans on blocks of 10 million with the power offered by quantum computing. and even if that took 6 months to do they would have scanned most of the population within 15 years.

 

What exactly is it that you're afraid of then? I mean are you not just hating on the NSA to hate? Or is your bank account filled with suspicious transactions?

[mr moose]

What exactly is it that you're afraid of then? I mean are you not just hating on the NSA to hate? Or is your bank account filled with suspicious transactions?

Two things:

 

1. any heuristic scan can and does return false positives.  I don't know about you but the thought of having my name on a list that rings a bell and makes me a terrorist suspect every time my name is entered into a computer (like when applying for a passport) ain't my idea of living in a free country.

2. Ethics,  plain and simple.

[Hazy125]

Can someone who can actually make requests to deep trolling please request they shut down the NSA

[Hans Christian | Teri]

Two things:

 

1. any heuristic scan can and does return false positives.  I don't know about you but the thought of having my name on a list that rings a bell and makes me a terrorist suspect every time my name is entered into a computer (like when applying for a passport) ain't my idea of living in a free country.

2. Ethics,  plain and simple.

 

1. Do you really think they will be that careless? You need to take a step out of your negative bubble and take a realistic look at things.

 

2. Your ethics are outdated man. It is obvious that it is more desirable not to be spied on by government entities, however this isn't really realistic anymore (and haven't been for a damn long time). As long as you have nothing to hide there is no logical reason why your door shouldn't be open for them to drop by for a cup of java.

[Grave]

There's certain encryptions that are so powerful, no computer you can think of making in this age can crack it. Maybe in 15-20 years we'll have the technology, but in all cases it would cost a fortune.

Source? I watch numberphile on youtube.

[Sidiox]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_quantum_computing

 

?

Yes they are progressing, but none is nowhere near a practical working one for encryption cracking. 

[mr moose]

?

Yes they are progressing, but none is nowhere near a practical working one for encryption cracking. 

I never said they were at that stage but they are working computers.  The nasa/google one has been working for a while now even though they wont tell us how its doing or the complexity of the programs it's running.

 

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-11/15/quantum-nasa