I was reading the postings about the encryption breakthrough and decided to actually check out the European Institute of Quantum Computing Network to see if it actually exists.
Well, it actually exists and it actually was started last Monday. However, several things on the site itself point to the fact that quantum computing has not been developed that can crack RSA 512.
The first bit of evidence is a quote that is on the front page of the site: "NASA are now planning on the basis that Quantum Computing will be mainstream within five years" --Dennis Bushill, Chief Scientist, Langley Research Centre of NASA
Now if the organization was founded in response to the actual development of a quantum computer, I don't think that that quote would be up there. It would say something like "Quantum computing is a reality, and we need to do something NOW"
Additionally, it seems to me that the Sunday Times got a lot of its information from the site's news section which mentions the TWINKLE project. The TWINKLE project says that 512 bit encryption could be cracked (meaning if this thing were ever to be developed), and I think that that is where the Times figured it could write After an Israeli research institute said it could break Europe's banking codes in less than a second
After reading the site and rereading the article, it seems to me that the (mis?)information is a collection of three things.... a description of the *potential* power of a *to be built* quantum computer, a misread of the TWINKLE project, and a very creative interpretation of the European Institute of Quantum Computing's website.
Actually, if you read the article with this in mind it never actually *says* that they have the device or the encryption has been cracked. The only thing that it explicitly says this is: "It claims it has developed a hand-held device that can break the code in 12 microseconds." which more than likely is a misinterpration on the reporter's part of something the Weizmann Instutite mentioned than actual fact.
All in all, I think that the Sunday Times has done a horrible job of reporting this, and should be held responsible for the misinformation that they are spreading.
Slashdot Mirror
Well, it actually exists and it actually was started last Monday. However, several things on the site itself point to the fact that quantum computing has not been developed that can crack RSA 512.
The first bit of evidence is a quote that is on the front page of the site: "NASA are now planning on the basis that Quantum Computing will be mainstream within five years" --Dennis Bushill, Chief Scientist, Langley Research Centre of NASA
Now if the organization was founded in response to the actual development of a quantum computer, I don't think that that quote would be up there. It would say something like "Quantum computing is a reality, and we need to do something NOW"Additionally, it seems to me that the Sunday Times got a lot of its information from the site's news section which mentions the TWINKLE project. The TWINKLE project says that 512 bit encryption could be cracked (meaning if this thing were ever to be developed), and I think that that is where the Times figured it could write After an Israeli research institute said it could break Europe's banking codes in less than a second
After reading the site and rereading the article, it seems to me that the (mis?)information is a collection of three things.... a description of the *potential* power of a *to be built* quantum computer, a misread of the TWINKLE project, and a very creative interpretation of the European Institute of Quantum Computing's website.
Actually, if you read the article with this in mind it never actually *says* that they have the device or the encryption has been cracked. The only thing that it explicitly says this is: "It claims it has developed a hand-held device that can break the code in 12 microseconds." which more than likely is a misinterpration on the reporter's part of something the Weizmann Instutite mentioned than actual fact.
All in all, I think that the Sunday Times has done a horrible job of reporting this, and should be held responsible for the misinformation that they are spreading.