# 2023 Will See Renewed Focus on Quantum Computing
Source URL:     https://www.darkreading.com/tech-trends/2023-will-see-more-focus-on-quantum-computing
Date:           20230104T0051

2022 was a big year for quantum computing. Over the summer, the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) unveiled four quantum
computing algorithms that eventually will be turned into a final quantum
computing standard, and governments around the world boosted investments
in quantum computing. 2023 may be the year when quantum finally steps
into the limelight, with organizations preparing to begin the process of
implementing quantum computing technologies into existing systems. It
will also be the year to start paying attention to quantum computing-
based attacks.

"In 2023, we'll see both the private and public sector's increased
awareness around the challenges associated with quantum resilience, and
we'll see efforts begin to take hold more significantly to prepare for
quantum computing," says CISO (ISC)2 Jon France.

[McKinsey][1] recently noted the amount of money different countries
have allocated for quantum computing to date. China leads the pack with
$15.3 billion in public funds in quantum computing investments. The
European Union governments combined have invested $7.2 billion, which
dwarfs the US with $1.9 billion.

That doesn't mean the US has been standing still. A key effort — the list of [four NIST-approved algorithms][2] ([CRYSTALS-Kyber][3], [CRYSTALS-Dilithium][4], [FALCON][5], and [SPHINCS+][6]) — will help organizations future-proof current data security measures against [harvest-now/decrypt-later (HNDL) attacks][7]. These attacks refer to adversaries hanging on to encrypted items until a time when quantum computing technology that can decrypt them become available. And last month, US president Joe Biden signed the [Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act][8] (HR 7535) into law to give the Office of Management and Budget authority to begin implementing [NIST-approved quantum algorithms][9] throughout the executive branch.

The new law highlights the importance of [implementing quantum computing
technologies][10] into existing systems now, but it doesn't address the
necessity of monitoring for threats, says Yudong Cao, co-founder and CTO
of Zapata Computing. "We should be actively monitoring the threat by
sponsoring cybersecurity research activities into various methods, exact
or heuristic, for compromising the current encryption schemes," Cao
says.

There is also a lot of investment activity in the private sector, with
startups focused on quantum technologies collecting $1.4 billion in
funding in 2021 alone, according to McKinsey. Nearly half (49%) of those
private investments are in companies in the United States, compared to
just 6% in China, the analysts noted.

"Building cyber resilience in preparation for quantum technology should
have been an effort started a decade ago ... but now is the second best
time," France says. However, for both private and public-sector
organizations, the process of making infrastructure "quantum-resilient"
will be a difficult and slow one.

"Much of the encryption infrastructure in communication networks that
keeps information safe now is deeply embedded, i.e., certificates, and
will take years to transition to quantum resilient algorithms, posing a
timeline issue for changeover before the general availability of quantum
computing," France says.

In a recent survey by Deloitte, enterprises said that without external
pressure — such as regulatory and compliance requirements — [they
won't be prioritizing quantum security initiatives][11].

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  [1]: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/quantum-computing-funding-remains-strong-but-talent-gap-raises-concern
  [2]: https://csrc.nist.gov/news/2022/pqc-candidates-to-be-standardized-and-round-4
  [3]: https://pq-crystals.org/kyber/
  [4]: https://pq-crystals.org/dilithium/index.shtml
  [5]: https://falcon-sign.info/
  [6]: https://sphincs.org/
  [7]: https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/crypto-agility-solving-for-the-inevitable
  [8]: https://www.darkreading.com/risk/biden-signs-post-quantum-cybersecurity-guidelines-into-law
  [9]: https://www.darkreading.com/application-security/nist-4-crypto-algorithms-post-quantum-world
  [10]: https://www.darkreading.com/dr-tech/now-is-the-time-to-plan-for-post-quantum-cryptography
  [11]: https://www.darkreading.com/edge-threat-monitor/no-enterprise-push-for-quantum-without-regulatory-push
  [12]: https://darkreading.tradepub.com/c/pubRD.mpl?secure=1&sr=pp&_t=pp:&qf=w_defa3135&ch=dr_eoa (Subscribe)

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