Building a quantum-safe future
“Today, most security systems in existing IT environments rely on public-key cryptography, which is used almost everywhere from messaging to transactions to securing data at rest. These cryptographic systems are based on mathematical problems that are difficult and time- consuming for classical computers but will be much easier and quicker for quantum computers to solve.
The strength of current cryptographic systems lies in the complexity of certain mathematical problems, one of which involves finding the factor of extraordinarily large numbers — a task that would take traditional computers millions of years to solve. This is the core principle behind the RSA algorithm that’s been in use since the 1970s. Systems using RSA today range from hardware devices such as smart cards and routers, to software applications such as web browsers and email clients. RSA is also used throughout the supply chain of these systems, from the manufacturing of components to the distribution of software updates…”
Source: https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2023/05/31/building-a-quantum-safe-future/