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THE DEVELOPMENT OF QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY IS ACCELERATING – CYBER SECURITY MUST KEEP UP
text: ANTTI VASARA
President & CEO VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd @ahavasara
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The major changes in different industrial sectors over the recent decades can be largely attributed to digitalisation and the improved power of computers. The development of quantum technology accelerates this change and increases the computing power to a higher level than we can currently imagine, opening totally new opportunities for, e.g.,modelling, complex simulations and machine learning.
In the future, the enormous computing power of quantum computers can be harnessed for solving major global problems, accelerating the development of medicines and vaccines, or for effectively finding new ways to overcome climate change, for example. This future is closer and closer: quantum technologies are already breaking out of research laboratories to wider use.
In the coming decades, the use will expand to different industrial sectors and open new application areas. Latest by the 2040s, quantum computers will already be used for doing so amazing things that it is impossible to forecast them in the present day. Exponential computing power can lead to an exponential leap in productivity, which would allow adapting the Earth’s resources to the well-being needs of the growing humanity.
OPPORTUNITY WORTH BILLIONS OF EUROS
For Finland, the development of quantum technology offers opportunities for sustainable economic growth. If we gain foothold in quantum technology, this could generate a new, significant branch of technology industry for us.
The first steps have already been taken: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd and Aalto University are currently in the process of acquiring the first quantum computer to Finland. Over the next few years, investments will be made in its development and use. Finland has a lot of expertise in superconductive circuits, complex radio systems and sensors created in quantum and cold physics laboratories. We also have quantum technology companies already in operation.
The starting point is good, but we need to enhance our competence in all areas of quantum technology. We must also invest in state-of-the-art manufacturing and research infrastructure and launch a national research, development and innovation programme in quantum technology. With such measures, Finland may even become one of the world’s leading countries in selected fields of quantum technology in the future.
NEED FOR QUANTUM-SAFE METHODS
The huge potential of quantum technology also poses threats to cyber security. It has been known for long that a powerful quantum computer would be able to break the existing encryption methods. As technology develops, this has become a significant risk in recent years.
Cryptography must be developed at the same pace as quantum technology, and the existing data networks must be protected using quantum-safe security methods. The project coordinated by VTT examines the possibilities provided by the existing methods and develops new methods, thus building quantum-safe cryptography.
One of the key issues is the standardisation of new encryption methods and algorithms. Once a standard has been drawn up, its adoption will take at least several years. When it comes to development, we must look dozens of years ahead to ensure that information to be kept confidential in the long term remains secure.
The US organisation for standardisation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, has launched a competition to seek new algorithms for future standards and for introduction to extensive use. In Finland, work aimed at standardisation is carried out, for example, in the extensive Post Quantum Cryptography project coordinated by Business Finland.
Today’s quantum computers cannot yet break encryption, and the forecasts about machines capable of doing so vary greatly. However, we must be prepared for the development to advance rapidly.
QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY FOR THE USE OF CYBER SECURITY
Quantum computers are often seen exclusively as a threat to cyber security and the development and standardisation of quantum-safe encryption methods as the key effort. But in addition to threats, quantum technology also provides opportunities for cyber security.
There are areas in cyber security that require a lot of computing, machine learning and modelling. Perhaps, the computing power of quantum computers lends itself to improving cyber security much earlier than for breaking encryption. The development of quantum-safe encryption methods may also accelerate the generation of innovations based on digital trust.
Ensuring cyber security in our current information networks in the era of quantum technology is one issue to solve. Another future issue relates to how to guarantee the security of actual quantum computers. At the moment, the focus is on the implementation of quantum computers themselves and not on their security aspects. However, we should also be thinking about this within the next few years in order to avoid the pitfalls of traditional computers in quantum machines.
