Quantum computers will break currently deployed public-key cryptography (RSA, ECC, Diffie-Hellman, etc.) which is one of the pillars of modern-day cybersecurity. Thus we need to migrate our systems and practices to ones that cannot be broken by quantum computers before large-scale quantum computers are built. There are viable options for quantum-proofing our cryptographic infrastructure, but the road ahead is neither easy nor fast. Impressive progress in developing the building blocks of a fault-tolerant scalable quantum computer indicates that the prospect of a large-scale quantum computer is a medium-term threat. Initiating the transition to quantum-safe cybersecurity cannot wait any longer without risking a cyber-catastrophe.
Organizations will soon be distinguished by whether or not they have a well-articulated plan for mitigating this quantum risk. Recent announcements by the NSA, NIST and other organizations articulate plans to eventually transition to quantum-resistant cryptography. I will discuss the quantum risk, the approaches for mitigating the risk, and practical next steps that organizations can take now.
Michele Mosca obtained his doctorate in Mathematics in 1999 from the University of Oxford on the topic of Quantum Computer Algorithms. He joined the Waterloo faculty in 1999. He is the co-founder of the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo, a Professor in the Department of Combinatorics & Optimization of the Faculty of Mathematics, and a founding member of Waterloo’s Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. He is the co-founder and Director of CryptoWorks21, an NSERC-funded training program in quantum-safe cryptography. In 2015, he cofounded evolutionQ Inc., where he serves as chief executive officer and president with chief technology officer Norbert Lütkenhaus, a pioneer and leader in quantum cryptography, in order to support organizations as they evolve their quantum-vulnerable systems and practices to quantum-safe ones. His current research interests include quantum algorithms and complexity, tools for optimizing the implementation of quantum circuits, and the development of cryptographic tools that will be safe against quantum technologies. Dr. Mosca’s work is published widely in top journals, and he co-authored the respected textbook “An Introduction to Quantum Computing” (OUP). Dr. Mosca has won numerous academic awards and honours, including 2010 Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, the Premier’s Research Excellence Award (2000-2005), Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) since 2010, Canada Research Chair in Quantum Computation (2002-2012), University Research Chair at the University of Waterloo (2012-present), and Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013).