Quantum Cryptography: where do we stand?

TL;DR

This paper reviews the current state of quantum cryptography, emphasizing its importance due to recent technological and geopolitical developments, and discusses the urgent need for quantum-safe cryptographic solutions.

Contribution

It provides an overview of recent changes in quantum cryptography's landscape and highlights the necessity of adopting quantum-safe cryptography to protect data.

Findings

Increased awareness of data security post-Snowden revelations.

Advancements in quantum computing threaten current cryptographic methods.

Urgent need for quantum-safe cryptography solutions.

Abstract

In the last few years the world in which Quantum Cryptography evolves has deeply changed. On the one side the revelations of Snowden, though he said nothing really new, made the world more aware of the importance to protect sensitive data from all kinds of adversaries, including sometimes "friends." On the other side, breakthroughs in quantum computation, in particular in superconducting qubits and surface-codes, made it possible that in 15 to 25 years there might be a quantum machine able to break today's codes. This implies that in order to protect today's data over a few decades, one has to act now and use some quantum-safe cryptography.