Quantum Computing and Cryptography:
At its core, cryptography relies on the mathematical quirk that some things are easier to do than to undo. Just as it's easier to smash a plate than to glue all the pieces back together, it's much easier to multiply two prime numbers together to obtain one large number than it is to factor that large number back into two prime numbers. Asymmetries of this kind - one-way functions and trap-door one-way functions - underlie all of cryptography.
To encrypt a message, we combine it with a key to form ciphertext. Without the key, reversing the process is more difficult. Not just a little more difficult, but astronomically more difficult. Modern encryption algorithms are so fast that they can secure your entire hard drive without any noticeable slowdown, but that encryption can't be broken before the heat death of the universe.
(Via Schneier on Security)
Bruce's focus is on quantum computing but he talks about cryptography generally in an accessible way. It's a good summary. One could take this post and make a good presentation to high level leadership to educate them on the topic.
If someone could please take that same deck and present it to the Australian government and US law enforcement, that would be great.
Of course, Bruce talked about government backdoors many times.
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