Debunking Hype: China Hasn't Broken Military Encryption With Quantum
Recent headlines have proclaimed that Chinese scientists have hacked "military-grade encryption" using quantum computers, sparking concern and speculation about the future of cybersecurity. The claims, largely stemming from a recent South China Morning Post article about a Chinese academic paper published in May, was picked up by many more serious publications.
However, a closer examination reveals that while Chinese researchers have made incremental advances in quantum computing, the news reports are a huge overstatement.
"Factoring a 50-bit number using a hybrid quantum-classical approach is a far cry from breaking 'military-grade encryption',” said Dr. Erik Garcell, Head of Technical Marketing at Classiq, a quantum algorithm design company.
While advancements have indeed been made, the progress represents incremental steps rather than a paradigm-shifting breakthrough that renders current cryptographic systems obsolete.
