The coming quantum revolution and the race against time for national security

The rapid growth of quantum technologies caught my attention several years ago.

As the revolutionary impact of these advancements became apparent, so did the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of quantum language and its implications, particularly concerning national security.

Establishing industry dialogue and common terminology is crucial to address the rapidly approaching quantum threat.

If an adversary achieves quantum-relevant computing capabilities before our IT infrastructure is quantum-resistant, all data — network, stored, social media, banking — could be at risk. The anticipated timeline for this event, known as "Q-Day" or "Y2Q," ranges from 2025 to 2035.

U.S. government leaders and agencies, including the White House, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, The National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Security Agency, and the Departments of Commerce, Defense, and Homeland Security, have been working to raise awareness and advance action on securing our systems and infrastructure.

These agencies closely monitor our adversaries and understand the pace of both government and commercial IT development. Broader conversations and increased awareness around this issue are vital to the future security of our nation. Drawing from the preparations for Y2K, which took two to three years, it's clear that now, with NIST- and NSA-approved approaches to quantum threats, we must start implementing these measures as soon as possible.

As with all technological advances, a well-informed public can facilitate more productive discussions on how to innovate and protect against quantum threats. To that end, let's explore some of the most significant areas of quantum technology.

Quantum Computing

Quantum computing offers unprecedented power, with its basic unit, the qubit, being much more scalable than digital transistors. While digital processors scale linearly, quantum computers scale exponentially.

We are currently in the Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum era, where qubits are prone to errors. However, by utilizing multiple physical qubits to create more reliable "logical" qubits, quantum computers can reduce errors and increase computational reliability.

Post-Quantum Cryptography

PQC aims to defend against adversaries using quantum computing to break current encryption methods. With the potential arrival of powerful quantum computers on Q-Day, these could crack existing encryptions. NIST has selected four quantum-resistant algorithms to prepare for this threat.

It is essential to adopt PQC now to safeguard data from future interception and decryption. While not all agencies have accredited these algorithms on a large scale, they are entering the market rapidly, and most agencies are likely to follow the NSA's lead in implementing them.

The goal is to make PQCs widely available across all agencies as soon as possible.

Quantum Networking

Quantum networking employs principles like entanglement, where the states of particles are interconnected. Imagine a coin and its mirror image; flipping the coin changes the mirror image accordingly. This phenomenon allows information to be transmitted over distances without physical transmission, making it less vulnerable to eavesdropping.

Additionally, quantum networking connects data to quantum computers, which require very low temperatures to operate. While not faster than light, it provides secure, undetectable communication.

Quantum Key Distribution

QKD combines secure key generation with quantum networking to safely distribute encryption keys. By avoiding physical transmission mediums, QKD prevents eavesdropping and detects interception attempts.

Despite challenges like cost and susceptibility to denial-of-service attacks, QKD is poised to become a leading method for key distribution.

Quantum Random Number Generator

Strong, unpredictable encryption keys are crucial, and QRNGs use natural processes to generate truly random numbers. Unlike digital computers that struggle to create true randomness, QRNGs can generate highly secure keys, making them valuable for secure key generation, machine learning, gaming and art.

The Race is On

Recent advances in quantum computing have ignited a global race to develop and harness these technologies. This is a critical issue for both the commercial and public sectors, affecting every industry and organization. Bipartisan support for accelerating the U.S.'s quantum initiatives is commendable and necessary.

Our adversaries are outpacing us, investing more than three times our national rate, posing challenges for workforce training and market clarity. Industry leaders must collaborate to stay ahead of potential threats, embracing new advancements and ensuring continuous education in quantum technologies.

Let’s get to work. Integrating workforce development into STEM curricula will prepare the current and next generations to tackle the challenges of the new quantum reality. Throughout the industry, we must update our teams and customers through on-site training, ongoing professional development, and educational briefings for policymakers and educators.

Through stronger industry collaboration, knowledge sharing, and upskilling, we can build a resilient infrastructure to withstand quantum threats and harness quantum computing's potential to serve national security.

The time to act is now.

Tom Lash is the CEO of Vibrint.