After watching Transformers I only though extra terrestrial beings could develop a super computer strong enough to breach national security and threaten our privacy, but after hearing of this news I was shocked yet intrigued to find out more.
The NSA and many scientists have had their eyes opened by the goal to create a quantum computer with revolutionary implications in fields like medicine. But like all developments, they have a deeper agenda that will benefit them on levels beyond our comprehension.
This computer will be key in the code-breaking mission the NSA has; to allow them to break any kind of encryption used to protect banking, medical, business and government records around the world.
According to documents provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the effort to build “a cryptologically useful quantum computer” (a machine extraordinarily faster than classical computers) is part of a $79.7 million research program titled “Penetrating Hard Targets.” A laboratory in Maryland’s College Park is hosting much of this work under classified contracts
Snowden called it “The Owning The Net “(OTN) Project.
“It provides techonolgical means for NSA to gain access to high value target communications” one document provided to the Washington Post states.
So what is the goal that has opened the eyes of the NSA? They are aiming to create a computer capable of carrying out the massive amount of processing needed to break traditional encryption systems. Unsurprisingly, this is just the kind of thing the NSA wants.
Independent journalist and security expert Jacob Appelbaum on Monday told a hacker conference in Germany that the NSA could turn iPhones into eavesdropping tools and use radar wave devices to harvest electronic information from computer even if they weren’t online. Is such activity acceptable in a society like ours?
Jacob Appelbaum went on to say “What I am going to show you today is wrist-slittingly depressing,”
He showed slide shows that caused horror to many viewers and that showed what the future holds, both good and bad.
According to the Washington Post, the NSA is not there yet. “Although the full extent of the agency’s research remains unknown, the documents provided by Snowden suggest that the NSA is no closer to success than others in the scientific community.” It adds, “The NSA appears to regard itself as running neck and neck with quantum computing labs sponsored by the European Union and the Swiss government, with steady progress but little prospect of an immediate breakthrough.”
So, What does the future hold? Will we be relying on Sam to rescue us in times when robots have taken over the world? Is there a cube that can save the human race?
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