THE NSA IS BUILDING A QUANTUM COMPUTER TO CRACK ALMOST EVERY KIND OF ENCRYPTION

New documents leaked by Edward Snowden reveal two NSA programs that seek to build a “useful quantum computer” that can break all known forms of classical encryption. Such a quantum computer would obviously give the NSA unprecedented access to encrypted communications, but a working quantum computer is also vital for defensive purposes: If someone else gets their hands on a quantum computer first, then it is the US government that will suddenly have all of its encrypted communications cracked wide open.