NSA Building Encryption-Busting Super Computer

January 3, 2014

Peter Suciu for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

On Thursday The Washington Post reported that the National Security Agency (NSA) is now developing a computer that, if successful, could break into nearly every type of encryption that currently exists. This would include encryption programs used to protect banking, medical, business and government records throughout the world.

The Washington Post attributes these findings to documents provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who fled to Russia in June after leaking the classified documents to the media. This latest leak suggests that their effort is to build a cryptologically useful quantum computer or what the Post refers to as a machine exponentially faster than classical computers. This research program, which could cost as much as $79.7 million, is reportedly titled Penetrating Hard Targets.

The work is allegedly being conducted under classified contracts at a laboratory in College Park, Md. the paper added.

Quantum computing is not solely in the domain of the government, and has long been a goal for many throughout the scientific community. Beyond being a tool to break encryption, quantum computing could offer a range of revolutionary uses.

Several organizations including DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) and Google have launched their own initiatives. In May the search giant along with NSA joined forces to create a new research laboratory that could use a quantum supercomputer to study artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Last year researchers at UC Santa Barbara also created a new quantum processor that would factor composite numbers in a way that could offer significant progress in the battle against cyber crime by creating more advanced encryption methods.

Now it appears that the NSA is pushing forward with efforts that go even further, and which would enable it to create a machine that could break through most encryption methods.

The Post also reported that computer scientists have speculated that the NSAs efforts could be more advanced than those being conducted in the best civilian labs. However, the leaked documents provided by Snowden suggest that the NSA is no closer to a success than those other efforts.

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NSA Building Encryption-Busting Super Computer