"Three Questions About Quantum Computing and Secure Communications"

The Biden administration recently published a National Security Memorandum on quantum computing, which warns of the potential dangers of developing quantum computers capable of breaking much of the public-key cryptography used on digital systems. According to the report, the consequences could jeopardize civilian and military communications, undermine critical infrastructure supervisory and control systems, and defeat security protocols for most Internet-based financial transactions. Quantum computers take a fundamentally different approach to computing than classical computers, storing information and solving problems that are too complex for current computers using the laws of quantum mechanics. Although quantum computers exist today, their abilities are limited. Peter Love, a professor in the Departments of Physics and Astronomy as well as Computer Science at Tufts University, studies quantum computing. He is a part of the Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA), which is a major US Department of Energy-funded center aimed at developing the next generation of quantum computers and applying them to the study of some of the most difficult problems in physics, chemistry, materials science, and other fields. Tufts Now spoke with him about the National Security Memorandum and the future threats to secure communications that quantum computers may pose. This article continues to discuss key points made by professor Peter Love on quantum computing and secure communications.

Tufts Now reports "Three Questions About Quantum Computing and Secure Communications"