Cybersecurity In The Quantum Era

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Why We Must Prepare for the Future

It is true that businesses all over the globe are now facing security threats and their data is at high risk, with dangers having increased in terms of volume and sophistication. Security threats incurred a whopping £30bn cost to the UK economy. Even mobile security threats have contributed immensely to the emerging vulnerabilities. However, these threats have skyrocketed ever since quantum computing became a reality.

The impact of cyber-attacks on companies is enormous and encompasses years of efforts and security maneuvers. According to the reports published in 2017, more than a dozen of large enterprises experienced a cyber-attack or security threat. As per the same report, the companies handling the personal data of their customers are most vulnerable to security threats and data breaches. With the emergence of quantum computing, old-world security measures are becoming obsolete and ineffective.

In spite of the positive impact of quantum computing, security threats are rising. The earlier security protocols and methods are now proving to be insufficient in the face of quantum computing. Even the most sophisticated encryption methods are getting vulnerable to quantum computing threats.

There is strong speculation that within the span of the next five years or so, even the most advanced encryption methods will be vulnerable to the threats of quantum computing. This is why data security challenges should be completely thought over.

The Key Advantages of Quantum Over Traditional Calculation

Quantum computing represents a complete shift of approach from that of traditional computing. Quantum computing in many ways boosts the pace of calculation. The principal way quantum computing can speed up calculation is through the superposition of states. The qubits which are the equivalent of bits in traditional computing are capable to exist simultaneously in two states. This capability called superposition of states ultimately enhances the calculation speed.

The time when quantum computing was at the very stage of conception is gone. Now, it has entered the engineering realm and soon thousands of qubits are going to endanger data encryption. At this moment, the largest quantum computing machine is Google’s 72-qubit machine built in 2018.

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