This researcher is helping fend off quantum computing security risks

In the next five to 10 years quantum computers are predicted to be capable of decrypting everything from personal health records to national defense contracts. 

That’s because these machines are poised to be extremely adept at breaking encryption codes. The mathematical algorithms found throughout the web help keep our precious data safe from hackers, explained Yunsi Fei, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern University. 

It would take upwards of a million years for today’s computers to solve the mathematical formulas underlying today’s encryption techniques, she said. But quantum computers could solve them in a fraction of the time.  

The Boston Consulting Group, a global management consulting firm, estimates that “quantum computers have a better than 50% likelihood of breaking widely used cryptographic algorithms by 2035.”

To safeguard against this, governments and developers throughout the world have begun the process of developing new post-quantum cryptography (PQC) algorithms and techniques. In June, the White House even issued an executive order on the development of PQC technologies. 

The order directs federal agencies to dedicate time and resources to accelerate the transition to PQC technologies, highlighting their importance for preserving “critical infrastructure and (the) digital economy” against potential quantum computing threats.