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Quantum cryptography attacks may first appear as unexplained wallet breaches

Quantus Network CEO Christopher Smith said a key compromise could show up as breaches with no visible way in, complicating detection of the first “Q-day” attacks.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Market Structure

Crypto executives expect the first real-world signs of a quantum break of modern cryptography to look less like a headline-making theft and more like unrelated crypto wallet breaches, according to commentary from Quantus Network’s CEO Christopher Smith in an interview with Cointelegraph.

Smith said that if a sufficiently powerful quantum computer can derive private keys from public keys exposed on chain, attackers may move funds without compromising a wallet, device, or an exchange’s internal systems, potentially making the moment of compromise hard to detect.

He added that in cases involving highly secure organizations, the forensic evidence may be limited to the absence of any breach, because there may be no identifiable incident investigators can point to.

Smith also linked the scenario to ongoing changes in quantum computing estimates and quantum algorithms, saying the traditional focus on hypothetical “Q-day” thefts may be misplaced and that first targets could include military systems or state secrets before turning to high-value crypto keys, including an assertion that Tether’s minting key could be among the most valuable.

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