Category: Emergent Topics

I have not seen this addressed in any of the media coverage.

Network Security has 2 elements, Confidentiality (prevent eavesdropping) and Integrity (prevent alteration). These are accomplished through encryption. Cracking encryption optimally requires a long, uninterrupted, error-free bit stream (you will not crack encryption with a short snippet, or a stream with errors and discontiguous streams do not reveal patterns necessary for cracking the encryption).

Planes are not on site long enough and generate too much noise to achieve the necessary long capture. Satellites are not on station long enough, and are too high experiencing other electromagnetic/atmospheric issues inhibiting data collection sensitivity.   A quiet nearly stationary balloon with no/little mechanical movement, high in the atmosphere is perfect for this application.

Considering where the balloon parked (over ballistic missile sites and their partnered Air Force communications centers), the recent evolution/breakthroughs of cracking encryption, and the polynomial increase in Computation/AI/ML abilities… what is your assessment?

Now consider this published days after the Balloon incident: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/technology/cyber-researchers-claim-method-to-break-encryption-quantum-computer-china?fbclid=IwAR19OHu7D0Eo72KizxqDhQ3Y7HmEQz6tutX_ZIDbcAxCCaR0R8OwkUlpO6w