Eye Spy - May 2018

46 EYE SPY INTELLIGENCE MAGAZINE 115 2018

Interior IBM ‘Q’ quantum system.

Right: IBM scientists examine a

cryogenic refrigerator which

keeps qubits (quantum bits)

colder than even the deepest

regions of space

a 1000+ qubit D-Wave 2X quantum computer.
In addition, there are already government
‘customers’, including the US Navy who are
‘renting time’ on D-Wave owned computers.
Their work remains secret. Another company
at the forefront of Quantum computing is IBM.

PROTECTING COMMUNICATIONS AND

INTERNET TRANSACTIONS

Quantum technologies offer major potential
across many industries, but could be
par ticularly game changing when it comes to
concepts such as protecting communications.
Public-key cryptography already protects
much of today’s Internet traffic, providing
security for banking transactions, encrypted
chat, secure Web browsing, and so on.
Breaking these codes currently requires
significant conventional computer time and
power to make it feasible, but all that changes
in the quantum era.

Intelligence analysts agree there is a looming
cyber crisis. The first and most obvious
military concern for a modern, fully functional
quantum computer is the capability to engage
in near-instantaneous hacking into encrypted
military servers, and those controlling the
national infrastructure systems of an adver-
sary. “In the case of a military conflict, [having

this capability] would give one side a huge

advantage,” one commentator said.

CHINA

John Costello, senior analyst for Cyber and

East Asia at Flashpoint and a Cybersecurity

Fellow for New America, warned that the

United States’ narrowing lead in this crucial

area is endangered by China’s aggressive

funding and research in quantum computing.

Losing the lead to China would have far-

reaching consequences for both countries. US

scientists and security analysts are voicing

concern that recent reductions in government

funding and other challenges are threatening

the country’s narrowing lead over China.

“America remains at the forefront of quantum

information science, but its lead has slipped

considerably as other nations, China in

par ticular, have allocated extensive funding to

basic and applied research,” Costello said in a

written statement to the US-China Economic

and Security Review Commission. “Conse-

quently, Chinese advances in quantum

information science have the potential to

surpass the United States. Once

operationalised, quantum technologies will

also have transformative implications for

China’s national security and economy. As the

United States

has sustained a

leading position

in international

affairs due in

par t to its

technological,

military, and

economic pre-

eminence, it is

critical to take

swift action to

reverse this

trend and once

again place the

United States

as a front-

runner in emerging technologies like quantum

information science.”

To put context to China’s entry in quantum

computing, earlier this year, Beijing announced

a staggering $11 billion has been set aside to

fund future projects. This, compared to the

NSA’s $70 million fund.

RUSSIA’S EMERGENCE

Researchers in Russia have recently demon-

strated ‘quantum-safe’ cryptography. Maxim

Vakstein, project leader of The Foundation for

A ‘wafer’ of D-Wave processors

John Costello

Chinese quantum

computer