My previous column about the possibility of pairing artificial intelligence with quantum computing to supercharge both technologies generated a storm of feedback via Twitter and email. Quantum computing is a science that is still somewhat misunderstood, even by scientists working on it, but might one day be extremely powerful. And artificial intelligence has some scary undertones with quite a few trust issues. So I understand the reluctance that people have when considering this marriage of technologies.
Unfortunately, we dont really get a say in this. The avalanche has already started, so its too late for all of us pebbles to vote against it. All we can do now is deal with the practical ramifications of these recent developments. The most critical right now is protecting government encryption from the possibility of quantum hacking.
Two years ago I warned that government data would soon be vulnerable to quantum hacking, whereby a quantum machine could easily shred the current AES encryption used to protect our most sensitive information. Government agencies like NIST have been working for years on developing quantum-resistant encryption schemes. But adding AI to a quantum computer might be the tipping point needed to give quantum the edge, while most of the quantum-resistant encryption protections are still being slowly developed. At least, that is what I thought.
One of the people who contacted me after my last article was Andrew Cheung, the CEO of 01 Communique Laboratory and IronCAP. They have a product available right now which can add quantum-resistant encryption to any email. Called IronCAP X, its available for free for individual users, so anyone can start protecting their email from the threat of quantum hacking right away. In addition to downloading the program to test, I spent about an hour interviewing Cheung about how quantum-resistant encryption works, and how agencies can keep their data protection one step ahead of some of the very same quantum computers they are helping to develop.
For Cheung, the road to quantum-resistant encryption began over 10 years ago, long before anyone was seriously engineering a quantum computer. It almost felt like we were developing a bulletproof vest before anyone had created a gun, Cheung said.
But the science of quantum-resistant encryption has actually been around for over 40 years, Cheung said. It was just never specifically called that. People would ask how we could develop encryption that would survive hacking by a really fast computer, he said. At first, nobody said the word quantum, but that is what we were ultimately working against.
According to Cheung, the key to creating quantum-resistant encryption is to get away from the core strength of computers in general, which is mathematics. He explained that RSA encryption used by the government today is fundamentally based on prime number factorization, where if you multiply two prime numbers together, the result is a number that can only be broken down into those primes. Breaking encryption involves trying to find those primes by trial and error.
So if you have a number like 21, then almost anyone can use factorization to quickly break it down and find its prime numbers, which are three and seven. If you have a number like 221, then it takes a little bit longer for a human to come up with 13 and 17 as its primes, though a computer can still do that almost instantaneously. But if you have something like a 500 digit number, then it would take a supercomputer more than a century to find its primes and break the related encryption. The fear is that quantum computers, because of the strange way they operate, could one day do that a lot more quickly.
To make it more difficult for quantum machines, or any other kind of fast computer, Cheung and his company developed an encryption method based on binary Goppa code. The code was named for the renowned Russian mathematician who invented it, Valerii Denisovich Goppa, and was originally intended to be used as an error-correcting code to improve the reliability of information being transmitted over noisy channels. The IronCAP program intentionally introduces errors into the information its protecting, and then authorized users can employ a special algorithm to decrypt it, but only if they have the private key so that the numerous errors can be removed and corrected.
What makes encryption based on binary Goppa code so powerful against quantum hacking is that you cant use math to guess at where or how the errors have been induced into the protected information. Unlike encryption based on prime number factorization, there isnt a discernible pattern, and theres no way to brute force guess at how to remove the errors. According to Cheung, a quantum machine, or any other fast system like a traditional supercomputer, cant be programmed to break the encryption because there is no system for it to use to begin its guesswork.
A negative aspect to binary Goppa code encryption, and also one of the reasons why Cheung says the protection method is not more popular today, is the size of the encryption key. Whether you are encrypting a single character or a terabyte of information, the key size is going to be about 250 kilobytes, which is huge compared with the typical 4 kilobyte key size for AES encryption. Even ten years ago, that might have posed a problem for many computers and communication methods, though it seems tiny compared with file sizes today. Still, its one of the main reasons why AES won out as the standard encryption format, Cheung says.
I downloaded the free IronCAP X application and easily integrated it into Microsoft Outlook. Using the application was extremely easy, and the encryption process itself when employing it to protect an email is almost instantaneous, even utilizing the limited power of an average desktop. And while I dont have access to a quantum computer to test its resilience against quantum hacking, I did try to extract the information using traditional methods. I can confirm that the data is just unreadable gibberish with no discernable pattern to unauthorized users.
Cheung says that binary Goppa code encryption that can resist quantum hacking can be deployed right now on the same servers and infrastructure that agencies are already using. It would just be a matter of switching things over to the new method. With quantum computers evolving and improving so rapidly these days, Cheung believes that there is little time to waste.
Yes, making the switch in encryption methods will be a little bit of a chore, he said. But with new developments in quantum computing coming every day, the question is whether you want to maybe deploy quantum-resistant encryption two years too early, or risk installing it two years too late.
John Breeden II is an award-winning journalist and reviewer with over 20 years of experience covering technology. He is the CEO of the Tech Writers Bureau, a group that creates technological thought leadership content for organizations of all sizes. Twitter: @LabGuys
Read this article:
Is Now the Time to Start Protecting Government Data from Quantum Hacking? - Nextgov
- Major Quantum Computing Projects And Innovations Of 2020 - Analytics India Magazine - January 2nd, 2021
- A little better all the time in 2021 - Science Magazine - January 2nd, 2021
- Quantum Computing Entwined with AI is Driving the Impossible to Possible - Analytics Insight - January 2nd, 2021
- QubitTech shapes the future of quantum computing - IBTimes India - January 2nd, 2021
- The Biggest Science Stories of 2020 | Technically Speaking - Inside Tucson Business - January 2nd, 2021
- Tech trends to watch in 2021 - India Today - January 2nd, 2021
- Tech trends in 2021: How artificial intelligence and technology will reshape businesses - The Financial Express - January 2nd, 2021
- The silver lining of 2020 - SouthCoastToday.com - January 2nd, 2021
- Quantum Computing Technologies Market Size, Share, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Trends, Key Players, Competitive Strategies and... - January 2nd, 2021
- Malaysia: Leveraging On Digitalisation Trends - The ASEAN Post - January 2nd, 2021
- 01 Communique to Present at the SNN Network Canada Virtual Event on Thursday January 7, 2021 - IT News Online - January 2nd, 2021
- Beam me up: long-distance quantum teleportation has happened for the first time ever - SYFY WIRE - December 27th, 2020
- Global Quantum Computing Market Predicted to Garner $667.3 Million by 2027, Growing at 30.0% CAGR from 2020 to 2027 - [193 pages] Informative Report... - December 27th, 2020
- Two Years into the Government's National Quantum Initiative - Nextgov - December 27th, 2020
- Bitcoin is quantum computing resistant regardless of rising fears among investors - FXStreet - December 27th, 2020
- Fidelity Investments leaps back to the future in an experiment to restore active management to its lofty perch, using technology that is still more... - December 27th, 2020
- World first Australian solution to protect sensitive data from Quantum threat - Industry Update Manufacturing Media - December 27th, 2020
- Rewind 2020: Business, politics, social and professional impact, and what lies ahead - YourStory - December 27th, 2020
- As China Leads Quantum Computing Race, U.S. Spies Plan for a World with Fewer Secrets - Newsweek - December 15th, 2020
- Chinese quantum computer may be the most powerful ever seen - Siliconrepublic.com - December 15th, 2020
- Anyon Systems to Deliver a Quantum Computer to the Canadian Department of National Defense - GlobeNewswire - December 15th, 2020
- Show Your Work: D-Wave Opens the Door to Performance Comparisons Between Quantum Computing Architectures - HPCwire - December 15th, 2020
- NWA funding for taking quantum technology to the public Bits&Chips - Bits&Chips - December 3rd, 2020
- 01 Communique to Present at the Benzinga Global Small Cap Conference on December 8 - IT News Online - December 3rd, 2020
- Quantum Computing Market : Analysis and In-depth Study on Size Trends, and Regional Forecast - Cheshire Media - December 3rd, 2020
- Quantum computer race intensifies as alternative technology gains steam - Nature.com - November 19th, 2020
- Quantum computing now is a bit like SQL was in the late 80s: Wild and wooly and full of promise - ZDNet - November 19th, 2020
- Construction begins for Duke University's new quantum computing center - WRAL Tech Wire - November 19th, 2020
- CCNY & partners in quantum algorithm breakthrough | The City College of New York - The City College of New York News - November 19th, 2020
- Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market Forecast to 2028: How it is Going to Impact on Global Industry to Grow in Near Future - Eurowire - November 19th, 2020
- What's Next In AI, Chips And Masks - SemiEngineering - November 19th, 2020
- Physicists discover the 'Kings and Queens of Quantumness' - Livescience.com - November 19th, 2020
- Every Thing You Need to Know About Quantum Computers - Analytics Insight - October 23rd, 2020
- Quantum computing will impact the enterprise--we just don't know how - TechRepublic - October 23rd, 2020
- Quantum Computing and the Cryptography Conundrum - CXOToday.com - October 23rd, 2020
- IBM and Mastercard among partners of 11.1m Irish quantum project - Siliconrepublic.com - October 23rd, 2020
- Quantum Computing Market Research including Growth Factors, Types and Application by regions by 2026 - Eurowire - October 23rd, 2020
- University of Rhode Island names respected professor, researcher, computational scientist to lead research computing efforts - URI Today - October 23rd, 2020
- Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market Trends and Forecast to 2028 - TechnoWeekly - October 23rd, 2020
- New York needs to be reimagined with technology and job training - Crain's New York Business - October 23rd, 2020
- Global Smart Cities Market Analysis 2020-2025: AI, IoT, and 5G (AIoT5G) will be the Most Influential Technologies - 63%, 34%, and 52% Respectively -... - October 23rd, 2020
- Quantum Computing Market 2020 | Outlook, Growth By Top Companies, Regions, Types, Applications, Drivers, Trends & Forecasts by 2025 - PRnews... - October 17th, 2020
- What is an algorithm? How computers know what to do with data - The Conversation US - October 17th, 2020
- Put Employees at the Center of Your Post-Pandemic Digital Strategy - Harvard Business Review - October 17th, 2020
- Most Read articles - LED drivers, Foundry market, Arm staffing - Electronics Weekly - October 17th, 2020
- 4 Reasons Why Now Is the Best Time to Start With Quantum Computing - Medium - October 15th, 2020
- The Future of Computing: Hype, Hope, and Reality - CIOReview - October 15th, 2020
- Menlo Micro, a startup bringing semiconductor tech to the humble switch, is ready for its closeup - TechCrunch - October 15th, 2020
- Rare magnetism found in the world's strongest material - Live Science - October 15th, 2020
- Room-temperature superconductivity has been achieved for the first time - MIT Technology Review - October 15th, 2020
- Global quantum computing market is projected to register a healthy CAGR of 29.5% in the forecast period of 2019 to 2026. - re:Jerusalem - October 15th, 2020
- Bring On The Qubits: How The Quantum Computing Arms Race Affects Legal - Technology - United States - Mondaq News Alerts - September 30th, 2020
- Under the dragons thumb: Chinese heft in VPNs and Indias vulnerability in a quantum-computing era - Economic Times - September 30th, 2020
- New Study Reveals 81% of Fortune 1000 Decision-Makers Have a Quantum Computing Use-Case In Mind For The Next Three Years Quantum computing emerges as... - September 30th, 2020
- Quantum Computing Technologies Market Potential Growth, Size, Share, Demand and Analysis of Key Players Research Forecasts to 2027 - The Daily... - September 30th, 2020
- Quantum Computing in Aerospace and Defense Market Analysis, Trends, Opportunity, Size and Segment Forecasts to 2028 - Crypto Daily - September 30th, 2020
- Pentagon Is Clinging to Aging Technologies, House Panel Warns - The New York Times - September 30th, 2020
- The global silicon photonics market accounted for $520.0 million in 2019 and is expected to reach $3.07 billion by 2025 - PRNewswire - September 30th, 2020
- Are We Close To Realising A Quantum Computer? Yes And No, Quantum Style - Swarajya - September 14th, 2020
- Spin-Based Quantum Computing Breakthrough: Physicists Achieve Tunable Spin Wave Excitation - SciTechDaily - September 14th, 2020
- NSF and DOE to Advance Industries of the Future - ARC Viewpoints - September 14th, 2020
- Global Quantum Computing Market 2025 To Expect Maximum Benefit and Growth Potential During this COVID 19 Outbreak: D-Wave Systems, Google, IBM, Intel,... - September 14th, 2020
- Why quantum computing matters - Axios - August 26th, 2020
- The future of artificial intelligence and quantum computing - Military & Aerospace Electronics - August 26th, 2020
- BBVA Uncovers The Promise Of Quantum Computing For Banking And Financial Services - Forbes - August 26th, 2020
- Has the world's most powerful computer arrived? - The National - August 26th, 2020
- Giant atoms enable quantum processing and communication in one - MIT News - August 4th, 2020
- Computer Scientist Don Towsley Named to Team Developing the Quantum Internet - UMass News and Media Relations - August 4th, 2020
- COVID-19 Impact on Quantum Computing Market Research, Growth, Industry Analysis, Size and Share 2025 | IBM Corporation, Google - My Kids Health - August 4th, 2020
- IBM and the University of Tokyo Unveil the Quantum Innovation Initiative Consortium to Accelerate Japan's Quantum Research and Development Leadership... - August 2nd, 2020
- Insights & Outcomes: a new spin on quantum research, and the biology of sex - Yale News - August 2nd, 2020
- This simple explainer tackles the complexity of quantum computing - Boing Boing - July 29th, 2020
- UK firm reaches final stages of the NIST quest for quantum-proof encryption algorithms - www.computing.co.uk - July 29th, 2020
- Looking Back on The First-Ever Photo of Quantum Entanglement - ScienceAlert - July 29th, 2020
- Quantum reckoning: The day when computers will break cryptography - ITWeb - July 29th, 2020
- Ripple CTO: Quantum computers will be a threat to Bitcoin and XRP - Crypto News Flash - July 29th, 2020
- The 6 Biggest Technology Trends In Accounting And Finance - Forbes - July 29th, 2020
- Ripple Executive Says Quantum Computing Will Threaten Bitcoin, XRP and Crypto Markets Heres When - The Daily Hodl - July 25th, 2020
- D-Waves quantum computing cloud comes to India - The Hindu - July 25th, 2020
- Hear how three startups are approaching quantum computing differently at TC Disrupt 2020 - TechCrunch - July 25th, 2020
Recent Comments