RSA is a widely used public-key cryptographic system whose security relies on the computational difficulty of factoring large integers, a problem for which quantum computers (via Shor's algorithm) could provide an exponential speedup.
Why it matters. The threat that quantum computers pose to RSA and other public-key cryptosystems is one of the most publicly discussed implications of quantum computing. A sufficiently large, fault-tolerant quantum computer could break RSA encryption in hours or days rather than the billions of years it would take a classical computer. This has motivated a global effort to develop post-quantum cryptography: new encryption methods that are resistant to quantum attacks. While today's quantum computers are far too small to threaten RSA (recent estimates suggest on the order of a million physical qubits would be needed), organisations with long-term security requirements are already transitioning to quantum-resistant standards.
How it connects. While Qblox does not build cryptographic systems, the control electronics it provides are part of the hardware stack that will eventually enable the fault-tolerant quantum computers capable of running Shor's algorithm and other cryptographically relevant computations. Learn more about the Qblox Cluster.
