Recently updated advice on quantum security technologies from the UK NCSC is bluntly sceptical about the promised benefits of quantum key distribution. This seems at odds with the scramble of governments around the world to promote the development of quantum networking technologies. Who is right? Future large scale quantum computers will one day bring many…
Commercial activity around quantum computing has risen to fever pitch over the last year. Many point to the traditional cycle of hype and consolidation in tech markets. Some have become quick to call ‘bullshit’ much of the activity at the current commercial frontier. Others predict a coming quantum winter. How can investors and early adopters…
Fortunately preparations are well in hand to fix the Internet before large scale quantum computers can break it. But even in 2020, sensitive data intercepted and stored is already vulnerable to future attack. Companies must act to ensure they are not caught-out by the coming transition. In the longer term, the tantalising promise of the…
Future quantum computers will ultimately force blockchain solutions to adopt strengthened quantum safe crypto protocols. Rationally there remains plenty of time to act, but proponents need to get their transition stories in place to avoid being caught out as we near peak quantum hype. More positively, the nascent blockchain industry also stands to be among…
The advantages a quantum computer can offer depend on the quantum algorithms it can run and also how easily we can get data in and out of the system. Today’s hardware is still well short of the universal quantum dream and, in truth, the most often discussed benefits are still many years away. However the…
Commercial transactions on the Internet and routine cyber security depend on the effectiveness of public key cryptography. Quantum computers will make existing standards obsolete. The impact of this starts now. Estimates vary on when a quantum computer powerful enough to realise this threat will be built. A range of dates from 8 to 20 years…
Quantum computers offer no advantage in and of themselves. Their true potential is only realised when they run new quantum algorithms. Conventional computers have benefited from 50 years of continuous development. The speed of their underlying logic gate operations will be significantly faster than the speed of quantum gate operations for the foreseeable future. Take…
