How to Secure Quantum Computing in the Cloud
Key points…
+ Quantum computing will likely arrive sooner than expected. 2020 has seen many leaps in the advance of quantum computing, including IBM announcing they will have a quantum processor available by the end of 2023. Enterprises need to prepare now for the potential threat of quantum computing, no matter how soon it arrives. And with quantum likely relying heavily on the cloud, securing against quantum attacks will take similar measures to securing the cloud.
Quantum services will be almost 100% deployed in the cloud, as it offers more flexibility and scalability for the technology. Additionally, quantum computers are capital intensive to install and require low temperatures to operate. Since they can only operate within refrigerators, their footprint takes up a large physical space. Consequently, most organizations will access quantum computing services via the cloud.
+ To protect against cloud quantum computing resources being used against your organization’s legacy cryptography, it is important to have a plan to move away from vulnerable cryptographic algorithms and protocols before available cloud computing resources are capable of compromising traditional algorithms like RSA. A good place to start is by inventorying the cryptography that is in use within your organization and starting to prepare a plan to transition to quantum-safe algorithms within the next few years.
+ At the end of the day, securing cloud quantum computing will require similar practices to securing other technologies and data in the cloud. According to the Cloud Security Alliance, the number one threat to cloud security is data breaches. These breaches in the cloud are most commonly due to poor authentication standards, weak passwords or poor certificate management. And when organizations scale their use of cloud services, it becomes even more difficult to manage. Enterprises need a security solution to protect cloud quantum computing with strong authentication, to provide visibility and scale, and to simplify certificate management to prevent breaches.
Source: digicert. Timothy Hollebeek, How to Secure Quantum Computing in the Cloud…
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