Workshops Intelligence Cryptanalysis and Codebreaking Acceleration

Intelligence Full Day Workshop

Cryptanalysis and Codebreaking Acceleration

Signals intelligence depends on the ability to exploit adversary communications. Quantum computers will transform this domain: Shor's algorithm breaks RSA and ECC, while Grover's algorithm weakens symmetric encryption. For intelligence organisations, this creates both offensive opportunity (breaking adversary crypto) and defensive urgency (protecting own communications). This workshop provides the technical foundation for both sides.

Full day (6 hours)

In person or online

Max 30 delegates

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Workshop Description

A cryptographically relevant quantum computer (CRQC) running Shor's algorithm will factor RSA-2048 in hours. Published resource estimates from Gidney and Ekera (2021) project approximately 20 million noisy qubits, with more recent work by Litinski (2023) reducing requirements through improved magic state distillation. For intelligence agencies, the timeline to CRQC determines when stored intercepts become readable and when own communications become vulnerable. Both questions require the same technical understanding.

This workshop covers quantum cryptanalytic algorithms at mathematical depth, examines published resource estimates from peer-reviewed sources, and assesses lattice reduction attacks against the PQC standards (FIPS 203/204) that will replace classical algorithms. Participants work through quantum resource estimation tools to understand what separates current NISQ devices from a CRQC, examine the offensive intelligence implications of quantum codebreaking capability, and evaluate the defensive urgency of migrating SIGINT infrastructure to post-quantum algorithms.

What participants cover

Shor's algorithm: factoring, discrete logarithm, and elliptic curve variants with resource estimates
Grover's algorithm: symmetric key search speedup and implications for AES-128 versus AES-256
Quantum resource estimation: T-gate counts, logical qubits, and error correction overhead for RSA-2048
Lattice cryptanalysis: BKZ 2.0, sieving, and attacks against ML-KEM (FIPS 203) parameter sets
Offensive intelligence implications: when stored encrypted intercepts become readable
Defensive migration: protecting SIGINT infrastructure and intelligence communications with PQC

Preliminary Agenda

Full day workshop structure with scheduled breaks. Content is configurable to your organisation's technical level and operational environment.

#	Session	Topics
1	Quantum Cryptanalysis for Intelligence How quantum algorithms change SIGINT capabilities	Shor's algorithm mechanics: polynomial-time factoring and its impact on adversary RSA/ECC communications Grover's algorithm: effective security level halving for symmetric keys and hash functions Resource estimates: logical qubits, T-gate depth, and the gap between NISQ devices and CRQC
2	Attack Surface Analysis Which cryptographic targets yield intelligence value	Adversary communication analysis: identifying high-value encrypted traffic and algorithm usage patterns Stored intercept exploitation: classifying archived SIGINT data by decryption value and algorithm vulnerability Protocol-level targets: TLS, IPsec, S/MIME, and messaging protocols used by intelligence targets AES-128 versus AES-256: the Grover reduction and its operational significance for SIGINT
Break, after 60 min
3	Post-Quantum Cryptanalysis Attacks against the replacement algorithms	Lattice reduction: BKZ 2.0, sieving algorithms, and Core-SVP hardness assumptions Dual and primal attacks against ML-KEM (FIPS 203) security levels Side-channel attacks: practical exploitation paths that bypass mathematical hardness Confidence assessment: how secure are the PQC standards likely to remain?
4	Interactive Demonstration Quantum resource estimation for intelligence targets	Facilitator-led walkthrough of resource estimation tools for Shor's algorithm against RSA-2048 and RSA-4096 Comparing published estimates: Gidney-Ekera 2021, Litinski 2023, and Kim et al. 2024 Interpreting results: translating qubit requirements into CRQC timeline estimates for intelligence planning
Break, after 90 min
5	Strategic Intelligence Implications Offensive opportunity and defensive urgency	Offensive: when quantum codebreaking enables access to previously protected adversary communications Defensive: HNDL threat to own SIGINT infrastructure and intelligence communications Hybrid cryptography deployment for intelligence systems: ML-KEM + X25519, ML-DSA + ECDSA
6	Case Studies: Cryptanalytic Intelligence History Lessons from Enigma to quantum	Historical precedent: how cryptanalytic breakthroughs have reshaped intelligence collection Projected impact of quantum codebreaking on contemporary intelligence operations
7	Q&A and Capability Planning

Designed and Delivered By

Workshops are designed and delivered by QSECDEF in collaboration with sector specialists. All facilitators have direct experience in both quantum technologies and intelligence systems.

QSECDEF brings world-leading expertise in post-quantum cryptography, quantum computing strategy, and defence-grade security assessment. Our advisory membership spans 600+ organisations and 1,200+ professionals working at the intersection of quantum technologies and critical infrastructure security.

Intelligence workshops are co-delivered with sector specialists who bring direct operational experience in intelligence organisations. This ensures workshop content is grounded in regulatory, operational, and technical realities specific to the sector.

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Sessions are configured around your organisation's technical level, operational environment, and regulatory jurisdiction. Get in touch to discuss requirements and schedule a date.

Quantum technologies are evolving quickly and new developments emerge regularly. This page was last updated on 15/03/2026. For the most current information about course content and suitability for your organisation, we recommend contacting us directly.

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