Don't Get Your Qubits in a Twist

With headlines like "The Quantum Threat to Encryption" and "Quantum Computers Just Broke RSA Encryption" one might get the impression that immediate change is urgently needed. Instead of such sensationalism, we will explore the topic from a more realistic footing. Starting with some background about how most current cryptography is based, how quantum computers and qubits work, and how future quantum computers could defeat it. Then, we move on to look at the current realities of state-of-the-art quantum computing, including discussing some of the sensational claims. Finally, we will look at what can and should actually be done in this space, including the real risks and how they stack up against other cybersecurity risks in the current environment.

This presentation is facilitated by Scott Baker and Jacob Boschee. Scott manages the Research Cybersecurity and Compliance team at UBC Advanced Research Computing: a group focused on supporting researchers to find secure solutions for their project architectures and research data as well as navigating compliance requirements. He is a member of the program leadership committee for UBC's Privacy & Information Security Management program. He is also a member of the Digital Research Alliance of Canada national security council where he chairs the governance and policy working group.

Jacob Boschee is the Senior Systems Analyst for the Research Innovations, Solutions and Engagement team at UBC Advanced Research Computing. He oversees new service offerings for researchers and assists with software deployment covering a wide variety of research fields. His own research background is in physics and quantum computing where he first developed his skillset in research computing.

This event is organized by the Digital Research Alliance of Canada. Click here to register.