What’s the most terrifying instance of supposedly ‘unbreakable’ encryption being compromised?
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What’s the most terrifying instance of supposedly ‘unbreakable’ encryption being compromised?
One of the most notable examples of previously thought unbreakable encryption being compromised is the case of the one-time pad. The one-time pad is theoretically unbreakable when used correctly—meaning the key is truly random, as long as the message, used only once, and kept secret.
However, in practice, many implementations have revealed vulnerabilities. For instance, in during WWII, the use of repeated keys or flawed implementations led to the breakdown of security. Also, in 1980, the case of the “Venona Project” showed how Soviet communications secured with one-time pads were decrypted by cryptanalysts through statistical analysis and intelligence work due to poor key management.
Another significant example involves the RSA algorithm, considered secure for decades. In the late 1990s, breakthroughs in factoring large numbers using advanced algorithms and computing power enabled the RSA keys shorter than 1024 bits to be broken. The “Factorization of RSA-768” in 2010 demonstrated that even seemingly strong encryption could be compromised given enough time and resources.
These examples show that while some encryption methods are theoretically unbreakable, real-world application and management practices play a critical role in their security.