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What is Microsoft's Majorana 1? And The Scary Implications Of Quantum Computing

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  • What is Microsoft's Majorana 1? And The Scary Implications Of Quantum Computing

We often hear the words ‘groundbreaking’, ‘revolutionary’, or ‘out-of-the-world’ in the field of technology. These days every other new development or a product-launch is touted as ‘the next big thing.’

Amidst this constant bombardment of ‘greatest inventions ever’ headlines, we may have finally found something worth mentioning as the actual ‘next big thing in the computing world.’

If you are connected with the tech world, you would have by now heard about the development of Microsoft's Majorana 1. This development is so exciting that everyone’s talking about it and is wondering about the possible implications of this new advancement.

Microsoft’s successful demonstration of the existence of Majorana fermions is indeed a giant leap. Majorana fermions is a type of quasiparticle that forms an important element of topological quantum computing. This achievement will go a long way in the development of quantum computing and will reshape the future of computing.

What Is Quantum Computing And What It Means For Us?

Quantum computing is a tremendous technology working on the principles of quantum mechanics. It is used to perform calculations that are exponentially faster and more powerful than those of classical computers.

The idea and voyage to quantum computing started around the 1980s. During that time, notable physicists like Richard Feynman and David Deutsch talked about the idea of using quantum systems to perform computations.

The Hurdle of ‘Quantum Error Correction’

Although quantum computing showcases enormous benefits, it isn’t easy to tap into its potential.

A key challenge in the development of a quantum computer is the ‘Quantum Error Correction’. At the core of quantum computers are qubits. Its role is similar to that of a bit in classical computing.

In classical computing, bits can be 0 or 1. However, qubits can exist in a superposition of both states simultaneously. This unique property allows qubits to perform complex calculations much faster than classical computers.

However, these qubits are extremely fragile. And since quantum systems are noisy in nature, these quantum states can be easily destroyed.

The Entry of Topological Quantum Computing

This is where Microsoft brought Topological quantum computing into play and changed the game completely.

Topological quantum computing uses exotic quasiparticles called Majorana fermions to perform computations. Majorana fermions are unique. These particles are their own antiparticles, making them ideal for quantum computing.

Using these Majorana fermions, topological quantum computers are now able to perform computations that are inherently fault-tolerant and resistant to quantum errors.

Through the existence of Majorana fermions, Microsoft has now demonstrated that we can create a topological quantum computer that is able to perform computations using these exotic quasiparticles.

Where Does This Lead Us?

This brings us to the crux of our blog: What are the implications of this new development?

Microsoft's achievement is going to create profound changes in the computing world and has ushered us into a new era of computing.

The speed and scope of quantum computing is enormous and we can just think of how it can affect our world. Although it has plenty of positive implications, this new development can cause harm in various domains as well.

Let’s skim through some of the negative implications of this development.

  • Financial systems at the forefront of risk?

    Our financial institutes can be the first ones to feel the heat of this advanced computing era. Currently, banks and other financial institutions are using encryption (RSA, ECC, AES) to safeguard the money and data.

    All the online transactions, private data, and account details are protected with encryption to keep attackers at bay. The current supercomputers can take days and years to break one set of encryption, thus making it difficult to hack into our banks.

    However, a highly effective quantum computer backed by Majorana qubits can crack encryption within seconds. This can make bank accounts, credit cards, and financial transactions vulnerable to hacking.

    The way ahead for banks will be to have quantum-safe encryption. Otherwise, financial fraud is just waiting to happen.

  • Communication through the internet is no longer safe?

    The age of the internet has made communication fast and seamless. Hence, today we use emails, instant messaging applications, and other tools to share information with each other. These communication channels already face plenty of hacking threats, but thanks to our current security features, the data somehow remains safe.

    The entry of quantum computing can change this reality. Like banks, internet communication too relies on encryption for safety. A quantum attack can blow away the safety door and can decrypt sensitive emails, private messages, and business communications. This can result in exposing personal and corporate secrets.

  • Cryptocurrency’s biggest threat?

    One of the key features of cryptocurrency is its robust safety measures. Leading cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others use cryptographic keys for security.

    But with quantum computers, cracking Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) becomes possible. This can eventually lead to hackers stealing private keys and taking control of digital wallets.

    There is also a lingering threat to Bitcoin's proof-of-work mining system. If quantum computers solve complex equations instantly, this system can become redundant.

    Overall, we are staring at a future where entire blockchains can be compromised.

  • Private data: A mishap waiting to happen?

    Companies across the world are storing customer data (passwords, social security numbers, medical records, etc.) using encryption. This data is stored on the internet in a secured manner.

    But once quantum computing enters the equation, this data could be an easy target for hackers. For example, banks, multinational corporations, hospitals have plenty of records online containing sensitive customer information. All these entities would then become a sitting duck.

    If a quantum computer is able to decrypt this data, hackers can steal identities, commit fraud, or even sell personal data on the dark web.

The Bottomline

The above mentioned threats are just a few of the negative implications of quantum computing. Whether quantum computing becomes a reality or not and if it does, then how soon? are questions that we can only answer in the upcoming times.

For now, we can just speculate about a world where quantum computing is driving our lives. The hope lies in the fact that as newer technologies emerge, newer security features too will emerge and will help us stay safe and secure from any threats. The challenge will be to match the pace of the upcoming technologies and to stay a step ahead of the unethical minds and their ideas.

Microsoft has opened the floodgates with its development of Majorana 1. The other big tech companies will soon follow the bandwagon and we could possibly witness a technology race between these big corporations. The upshot will be that we will see new advancements at a quicker pace. But the peril of the technology race is that these advancements can be used for ethical as well as unethical purposes.

Hopefully, we will have figured the answers to the safety concerns by the time the quantum computing revolution enters our life.