Quantum Threat Tracker documentation
Welcome to the Quantum Threat Tracker (QTT)!
The Quantum Threat Tracker (QTT) is a Python package designed to provide a comprehensive overview of quantum threats to cryptographic systems. It helps researchers, developers, and practitioners understand the potential impact of quantum computing on current cryptographic standards by estimating the quantum resources required to break various cryptographic primitives.
The Quantum Threat Tracker (QTT)
The QTT addresses these challenges by providing a modular framework to:
Estimate the quantum resources required for cryptanalysis.
Provide actionable insights into the vulnerabilities of cryptographic systems.
It achieves this by first determining the quantum resources needed to run a cryptographically relevant algorithm. Then, by considering quantum computing hardware roadmaps, it helps estimate when such resources might become available. Finally, it allows for an assessment of the maximum potential of given quantum hardware to compromise cryptographic systems, supporting informed decision-making.
For a deeper understanding of the quantum threat landscape and the principles behind quantum resource estimation, please see our Background Concepts information.
Overview of QTT Features
The QTT is offers three core functionalities:
Quantum Resource Estimation (QRE): The QTT quantifies the quantum resources (e.g., qubit count, runtime) needed to execute cryptographic-breaking algorithms like Shor’s for specific protocols and key sizes.
Threat Report Generation: The QTT generates comprehensive threat reports predicting when cryptographic systems might become vulnerable. These reports are based on hardware roadmaps and algorithmic advancements.
Specification Requirement Estimation: The QTT allows users to input a maximum number of available qubits and determine the hardware specifications required to break a given cryptographic protocol.
These features collectively provide a versatile tool for assessing quantum threats.