Is it possible that quantum computing ends up saving encryption? Here's how it could happen

We are used to seeing the cryptography world worrying about quantum computing. The enhanced computational power of these machines is expected to break current encryption methods, in fact, potentially putting in danger the internet's security and privacy infrastructure we all rely on.

The truth, however, is that encryption as we know it is already under threat. The UK, Sweden, Switzerland, and even the EU have lawmakers seeking to give law enforcement more power to access people's data, especially those encrypted.

But what if quantum computing ends up saving today's encryption from such a future instead?

What is an encryption backdoor?

The likes of WhatsApp and Signal use encryption to scramble data into an unreadable form to keep your online communications private.

Yet, as most crime moved from the offline to the online world, law enforcement and policymakers have been increasingly arguing that current encrypted services, like the best VPN and messaging apps, prevent them from catching the bad guys.

This led to a push from politicians and lawmakers to create what's known as an encryption backdoor – an entry point for authorthies to easily access people's online communications and activities.

ProtectEU is only the latest European effort to find a strategy for finding a safe manner to access encrypted data. This comes at the same time that Apple is fighting in court against the UK's request to make all users' iCloud data accessible at all times.

According to technologists, though, it's impossible to create an encryption backdoor that only law enforcement can benefit from. Encryption is either inaccessible or it isn't.

As Proton's Founder and CEO, Andy Yen, said during a discussion at RightsCon in Taiwan last February: "Encryption is math – it either adds up or it doesn't. You're not able to create a backdoor that will preserve encryption. It is simply not possible."

Raising awareness

With the threat of quantum computing breaking current encryption algorithms looming in the background, it's fair to say that encryption has never been more in danger.

Yet, Tuta Mail's Press Officer, Hanna Bozakov, believes that exactly the need for post-quantum encryption can help the industry's cause.

"Now that quantum computing is threatening the encryption that protects our infrastructure, there's a lot to talk about. All of this will also raise awareness among politicians for why we need encryption, and hopefully, this will influence them and stop them wanting to undermine encryption," she told TechRadar.

Put simply, the prospect of losing encryption altogether may turn this protection from an annoyance and an obstacle to something that needs to be protected no matter what.

An encrypted secure email service, Tuta is known to be very vocal in fighting against attempts to undermine the integrity of encryption.

The company regularly writes open letters to politicians explaining the importance of encryption for everybody's privacy and a functioning democracy.

Tuta is also a pioneer in the quantum-resistant cryptography space, launching its first research project in this space in 2020. It became the first encrypted email service to add a quantum-safe hybrid protocol on its software last year while still working to do the same for its drive tool.

Is the importance of quantum-safe encryption destined to be way more than a technical fix? Tuta hopes so.

Bozakov said: "Besides all the amazing progress that we will see from quantum computing, this will hopefully be another amazing side-effect – politicians fighting FOR encryption, not against it! We at Tuta would love to see this happening."

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