Abstract: Promising advances in the field of quantum computing indicate a growing threat to cryptographic protocols based on integer factorization

Promising advances in the field of quantum computing indicate a growing threat to cryptographic protocols based on integer factorization. To counter this threat, researchers have already designed and tested alternative protocols that do not rely on factorization. Quantum key distribution, a cryptographic mechanism that relies on the inherent randomness of quantum mechanics, serves not only as an option to replace techniques made vulnerable by quantum computing, but also as a more secure protocol that works fundamentally differently from previous cryptographic techniques. However, it is still subject to clever forms of eavesdropping and poses a significant challenge to implementation.