Answer:
The author’s purpose in this paragraph is to explain the need for faster technology in cryptanalysis.
Explanation:
Simon Singh's book on the history of cryptography "The Code Book" presents an illustrative representation of the world of cryptography. In it, he reveals the secrets of the cryptographic world, the history of encryption, and the evolution in the field.
As given in the passage, the author presents how a newer and better technology is needed by cryptographers if they are to make success in a fast way in the "speed of factoring". Silicon chips may help but that is not enough for it can change. Rather, he argues for the need for a "technology that is billions of times faster than current computers". And if scientists were to build a "quantum computer", it will definitely be a huge success for them for "it would be able to perform calculations with such enormous speed that it would make a modern supercomputer look like a broken abacus". Thus, the whole passage is to explain why cryptoanalysis requires faster technology.
