What makes quantum computers SO powerful?

and individual actors are intercepting and storing lots

of encrypted data like passwords, bank details,

and social security numbers.

But they can't open these files.

So why are they doing it?

Well, because they believe that within

the next 10 to 20 years,

they will have access to a quantum computer

that can break the encryption in minutes.

This procedure is known

as Store Now, Decrypt Later or SNDL.

And it works because there is information around today

that will still be valuable in a decade.

Things like industrial and pharmaceutical research

and top secret government intelligence,

and everyone is aware of this threat.

The National Security Administration

says that a sufficiently large quantum computer,

if built would be capable of undermining

all widely deployed public key algorithms.

- You know in a five to 10 year timeframe,

quantum computing will break encryption as we know it today.

- Even though sufficiently powerful quantum computers

are still years away,

they're already a threat because of Store Now Decrypt Later,

which is why the US Congress just passed legislation

mandating all agencies start transitioning

right now to new methods of cryptography

that can't be broken by quantum computers.

You know, our current encryption schemes

have been remarkably successful

working effectively for over 40 years.

Up until the 1970s, if you wanted to exchange

private information with someone,

you would first have to meet up in person

and share a secret key.

This same key would be used to encrypt and decrypt messages.

So it's known as a symmetric key algorithm.

As long as no one else gets their hands on the key,