Latest news with #Gidney
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Google Warns Quantum Computers Could Crack Bitcoin-Like Encryption 20 Times Faster Than Expected
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. New research by Google suggested that RSA encryption, a critical security feature used in securing Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), may be more susceptible to quantum computing attacks than previously anticipated. What Happened: Google Quantum AI researcher Craig Gidney published a new paper indicating that RSA encryption could be broken with 20 times fewer quantum resources than previously estimated. 'We published a preprint demonstrating that 2048-bit RSA encryption could theoretically be broken by a quantum computer with 1 million noisy qubits running for one week. This is a 20-fold decrease in the number of qubits from our previous estimate,' Gidney wrote in a blog post. Don't Miss: Trade crypto futures on Plus500 with up to $200 in bonuses — no wallets, just price speculation and free paper trading to practice different strategies. Grow your IRA or 401(k) with Crypto – unlock the power of alternative investments including a Crypto IRA within your retirement account. A qubit is the basic unit of information used to encode data in quantum computing, serving as the foundation upon which quantum algorithms are built. The study did not specifically mention Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. However, the Elliptic Curve Cryptography algorithm, which secures transactions on Bitcoin with public and private keys, is similar in principle to the RSA. While Elliptic Curve Cryptography is currently secure against classical computers, a strong enough quantum computer could effectively crack it in the years to come, according to a previous study. Why It Matters: Concerns over Bitcoin's cryptography have increased with the release of Google's next-generation quantum chip, "Willow,' last year. This chip can solve a standard benchmark computation in under five minutes, a task that would take the world's fastest supercomputers 10 septillions, or 10^25, years to solve. While some experts ruled out immediate dangers, others advocated for proactive measures to prepare for the threat, such as switching to quantum-resistant algorithms. A study led by the University of Kent's School of Computing suggested that Bitcoin might need to undergo a costly and time-consuming update process to counter the threat from quantum computing in the future. Read Next: New to crypto? Get up to $400 in rewards for successfully completing short educational courses and making your first qualifying trade on Coinbase. A must-have for all crypto enthusiasts: Sign up for the Gemini Credit Card today and earn rewards on Bitcoin Ether, or 60+ other tokens, with every purchase. Photo Courtesy: Wirestock Creators on Shutterstock Send To MSN: Send to MSN This article Google Warns Quantum Computers Could Crack Bitcoin-Like Encryption 20 Times Faster Than Expected originally appeared on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Quantum Computing Could Break Bitcoin-Like Encryption Far Easier Than Intially Thought, Google Researcher Says
A new research paper by Google Quantum AI researcher Craig Gidney shows that breaking widely used RSA encryption may require 20 times fewer quantum resources than previously believed. The finding did not specifically mention bitcoin BTC or other cryptocurrencies, but took aim at the encryption methods that form the technical backbone used to secure crypto wallets and, in some cases, transactions. RSA is a public-key encryption algorithm used to encrypt and decrypt data. It relies on two different but linked keys: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. Bitcoin doesn't use RSA, but relies on elliptic curve cryptography (ECC). However, ECC can also be broken by Shor's algorithm, a quantum algorithm designed to factor large numbers or solve logarithm problems — which form the heart of public key cryptography. ECC is a way to lock and unlock digital data using mathematical calculations called curves (which compute only in one direction) instead of big numbers. Think of it as a smaller key that's just as strong as a larger one. While 256-bit ECC keys are significantly more secure than 2048-bit RSA keys, quantum threats scale nonlinearly, and research like Gidney's compresses the timeline by which such attacks become feasible. 'I estimate that a 2048-bit RSA integer could be factored in under a week by a quantum computer with fewer than one million noisy qubits,' Gidney wrote. This was a stark revision from his 2019 paper, which estimated such a feat would require 20 million qubits and take eight hours. To be clear: no such machine exists yet. IBM's most powerful quantum processor to date, Condor, clocks in at just over 1,100 qubits, and Google's Sycamore has 53. Quantum computing leverages the principles of quantum mechanics, using quantum bits or qubits instead of traditional bits. Unlike bits, which represent either a 0 or a 1, qubits can represent both 0 and 1 simultaneously due to quantum phenomena like superposition and entanglement. This allows quantum computers to perform multiple calculations at once, potentially solving problems that are currently intractable for classical computers. 'This is a 20-fold decrease in the number of qubits from our previous estimate,' Gidney said in a post.A 20x efficiency boost in quantum cost estimation for RSA may reflect algorithmic trends that could eventually apply to ECC too. RSA is still very widely used in TLS, email encryption, and certificate authorities, which are all vital to the infrastructure crypto often piggybacks on. Researchers, such as the quantum research group Project 11, are actively exploring whether even weakened versions of Bitcoin's encryption can be broken by today's quantum hardware. The group earlier this year launched a public bounty offering 1 BTC (~$85,000) to anyone able to break tiny ECC key sizes — between 1 and 25 bits — using a quantum computer. The goal isn't to break Bitcoin today, but to measure how close current systems can be.
Daily Mirror
10-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Four children in every British classroom are living in hygiene poverty
The A Clean Start in Life report found that 1.1m children across Great Britain are living in hygiene poverty, with a fifth of these going without essentials According to research, four children in every British classroom are living in hygiene poverty. This issue affects 14% of children across Great Britain in total, with 20% of these going without essentials like toothpaste or deodorant, on a monthly basis. The report, titled 'A Clean Start in Life ', was produced by Charity In Kind in collaboration with Children North East. It reveals that nearly 350,000 children have missed school due to not having a clean uniform. It highlights that a fifth of children affected by hygiene poverty avoid socialising due to fear of judgement, and one in ten have experienced bullying related to their lack of hygiene products. Michael Gidney, CEO of the Charity In Kind, expressed his concern: "Children are sharing toothbrushes, worrying about standing out at school for the wrong reasons and families are having to choose between eating and keeping clean – impossible choices no one should have to face. ". He added: "As well as surveying young people online, we spoke directly to children across England who told us hygiene poverty is damaging childhoods, and no one should feel embarrassed to ask for help." The charity has launched the 'Not a Choice' campaign at Bluewater shopping centre to raise awareness of this hidden crisis. When shoppers visit the restrooms at Bluewater they will hear the voices of children experiencing these difficulties, narrating their stories and experiences. The campaign will run until May 11th. "By amplifying the voices of children and real experiences in the shopping centre restrooms, we hope to create a moment of reflection for visitors before asking them to help us end hygiene poverty," Gidney said. In the report involving over 1000 children, aged between 6 and 15, it was found that 26% of those living in hygiene poverty suffer from low self-esteem, with 17% feeling embarrassed and ashamed due to their circumstances. Almost one fifth of the children struggling with hygiene poverty have had to share personal items such as toothbrushes with family members, while 16% have had to wear the same clothes for several days consecutively. The report also included further face-to-face sessions with 103 children and young people aged between 5 and 18, to gain insight into their experiences of hygiene poverty. These sessions were organised by Children North East and took place in various locations including the North East, East and West Midlands, London and the South West, at venues such as schools, colleges, youth and sports clubs. Leigh Elliott, CEO at Children North East, commented: "The shame and stigma attached to wearing a dirty school uniform or having greasy hair can be an unbearable burden for our children and young people. "This research, along with our Poverty Proofing consultations with thousands of UK pupils, reveal that an increasing number of children are facing this reality. " "Every baby, child and young person should be able to live a happy, healthy childhood, yet children have told us hygiene poverty is impacting their mental health and school attendance." Leigh has hopes that by lifting families out of poverty, they can help protect young lives. "Children North East is proud to have worked in partnership with In Kind Direct to conduct this research with children and young people, and we hope their voices will drive meaningful change."
The Print
24-04-2025
- Business
- The Print
ECB should offer BCCI minority ownership in Hundred to attract Indian players: Lancashire CEO
According to ESPNCricinfo, Gidney believes 'aligning interests' would be the way to bring Indian players to compete in The Hundred. Even though Indian men's players are not issued 'No Objection Certificates' to play outside the IPL, the T20 league owners have expanded their footprint across the globe, and have stakes in SA20 (South Africa), ILT20 (UAE) and Major League Cricket (USA). London, Apr 23 (PTI) The England and Wales Cricket Board should bring on board the BCCI as a 'minority ownership partner' of The Hundred in order to attract Indian players to the tournament, Lancashire CEO Daniel Gidney has said, according to a report. 'I think it's possible. If I was the ECB, I'd be talking about perhaps bringing the BCCI in as a minority ownership partner in the tournament as a whole. If you do that, then you are aligning interests,' he said. While Indian men's players feature only in the IPL, the country's women cricketers, including captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, have featured in England's The Hundred and Australia's Women's Big Bash League. 'That is probably your best chance of getting (Indian) players in The Hundred. It comes down to the will, and the individuals on both sides,' Gidney said. 'The BCCI have been really successful with protecting their brand and by making sure they don't plan any T20 tournaments anywhere in the world… 'If I was the BCCI, then I would have to say I would need a significant incentive to relax the current policy because that has been extraordinarily successful and has grown the IPL into the massive commercial entity that it is,' he said. The report added that the Lancashire CEO was in India recently to finalise a deal with RPSG Group, which will see them acquire a 70 per cent stake in the Manchester Originals and run the franchise as a joint venture. Gidney also cited the ties between Lancashire and Indian players to make his point. 'We've probably had more Indian overseas players than any other county. When you have VVS Laxman at the NCA, who Mark Chilton (Lancashire director of cricket) captained, then you have strong relationships all the way through,' he said. 'If you build a relationship with the BCCI and understand the types of players that they see as potential future Test players, that's a lot easier than putting in an NOC request saying, 'We'd like to see Virat Kohli or Rishabh Pant playing in the County Championship',' he added. To start with, Gidney proposed the hosting of exhibition matches. 'Imagine having an LSG (Lucknow Super Giants) vs Delhi Capitals game here at Old Trafford — at the end of the season, say in September. That could be pretty mega, in terms of the Indian fans in the UK. It would make commercial sense for everybody,' he said. Additionally, the Manchester Originals have used their links with the Super Giants group to sign Afghanistan's Noor Ahmad and South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen, who play for the Durban Super Giants in SA20. 'When an overseas player gets bought at auction in the IPL, and that's locked in for three years via retentions, then it just makes commercial sense for that player to then potentially play for Durban, for Manchester, and also potentially for Lancashire in the (T20) Blast,' he said. 'It's a lot more efficient, and it could become a lot more straightforward,' Gidney added. PTI DDV AM DDV AM AM This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
NDTV
24-04-2025
- Business
- NDTV
India Stars To Play In The Hundred? Report Highlights At "Aligning Interests" Factor
The England and Wales Cricket Board should bring on board the BCCI as a "minority ownership partner" of The Hundred in order to attract Indian players to the tournament, Lancashire CEO Daniel Gidney has said, according to a report. Even though Indian men's players are not issued 'No Objection Certificates' to play outside the IPL, the T20 league owners have expanded their footprint across the globe, and have stakes in SA20 (South Africa), ILT20 (UAE) and Major League Cricket (USA). According to ESPNCricinfo, Gidney believes "aligning interests" would be the way to bring Indian players to compete in The Hundred. "I think it's possible. If I was the ECB, I'd be talking about perhaps bringing the BCCI in as a minority ownership partner in the tournament as a whole. If you do that, then you are aligning interests," he said. While Indian men's players feature only in the IPL, the country's women cricketers, including captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, have featured in England's The Hundred and Australia's Women's Big Bash League. "That is probably your best chance of getting (Indian) players in The Hundred. It comes down to the will, and the individuals on both sides," Gidney said. "The BCCI have been really successful with protecting their brand and by making sure they don't plan any T20 tournaments anywhere in the world… "If I was the BCCI, then I would have to say I would need a significant incentive to relax the current policy because that has been extraordinarily successful and has grown the IPL into the massive commercial entity that it is," he said. The report added that the Lancashire CEO was in India recently to finalise a deal with RPSG Group, which will see them acquire a 70 per cent stake in the Manchester Originals and run the franchise as a joint venture. Gidney also cited the ties between Lancashire and Indian players to make his point. "We've probably had more Indian overseas players than any other county. When you have VVS Laxman at the NCA, who Mark Chilton (Lancashire director of cricket) captained, then you have strong relationships all the way through," he said. "If you build a relationship with the BCCI and understand the types of players that they see as potential future Test players, that's a lot easier than putting in an NOC request saying, 'We'd like to see Virat Kohli or Rishabh Pant playing in the County Championship'," he added. To start with, Gidney proposed the hosting of exhibition matches. "Imagine having an LSG (Lucknow Super Giants) vs Delhi Capitals game here at Old Trafford — at the end of the season, say in September. That could be pretty mega, in terms of the Indian fans in the UK. It would make commercial sense for everybody," he said. Additionally, the Manchester Originals have used their links with the Super Giants group to sign Afghanistan's Noor Ahmad and South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen, who play for the Durban Super Giants in SA20. "When an overseas player gets bought at auction in the IPL, and that's locked in for three years via retentions, then it just makes commercial sense for that player to then potentially play for Durban, for Manchester, and also potentially for Lancashire in the (T20) Blast," he said. "It's a lot more efficient, and it could become a lot more straightforward," Gidney added.
