The emerging field of quantum technology is expected to have increasingly significant impacts on established industries. As quantum tech develops in conjunction with artificial intelligence, the possibilities for practical applications continue to expand.
While the potential benefits are substantial, these developments ahead of the looming arrival of the quantum computing era threaten our vulnerable status quo cryptography — putting digital security at risk for individuals, nation states, and businesses alike.
A new order of encryption solutions is required. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the problem with AI and quantum tech, and what SaaS companies are doing to solve it.
The Problem with AI and Quantum Tech for Information Security
Quantum technology refers to technologies and feats of engineering that harness the properties of quantum mechanics. Quantum computing is one of these emerging technologies, with the potential to influence many sectors, from finance, to healthcare, to artificial intelligence.
AI and machine learning programs can already execute powerful feats of deduction on traditional computers — but the way these computers process data imposes limitations. Classical computers operate on a binary vocabulary of bits in the form of either 1 or 0, with a small amount of time needed to flip back and forth between them in order to process information.
Quantum computers on the other hand are not limited by the need for this processing time. Instead, they operate using quantum bits, or qubits, which can be both 1 and 0 simultaneously.
The exponentially greater speed and power capabilities of quantum computers allow them to analyze enormous data sets and solve problems much faster than classical computers, driving AI and machine learning well beyond its current technical limits.
AI together with the power of quantum computing has the potential to expand tools like pattern recognition, computer vision, and the ability of robots to analyze data in seconds instead of years, and then make decisions and efficiently adapt in realtime in response to shifting circumstances.
For all this positive potential however, these advancements pose major issues for data security. The reality is, not everyone with access to quantum technology has good intentions.
A viable quantum computer — otherwise known as a cryptanalytically relevant quantum computer (CRQC) — will be capable of cracking the standard public-key cryptography we rely on globally, jeopardizing economic and societal stability. Many bad actors are already collecting data until such time as a quantum computer becomes available. Even without a quantum computer, threats to conventional algorithmic decryption are real, and rising all the time as AI and machine learning are becoming more capable attack tools, and as cybercriminals become more sophisticated in their methods.
The good news is, data security solutions are also becoming more sophisticated in response to these threats.
New Encryption Solutions to Withstand the Escalating Capabilities of AI and Quantum Tech
Change is happening rapidly in the field of AI and quantum tech, and the issue of data security must be a top priority for organizations as developments continue to unfold.
New encryption solutions are now available from SaaS companies that address the limitations of status quo cryptography and anticipate the next-generation quantum-era threat landscape. In addition to being able to resist assaults from the field of quantum information sciences and technology (QIST), a new approach must also resist new forms of non-quantum threats such as advances in artificial intelligence and higher mathematics. The most ideal encryption solution is also one that can be deployed economically and efficiently at scale.
Theon Technology is a SaaS that utilizes quantum-resistant patented algorithms that deliver on the promise of a truly scalable, commercially viable, enterprise ready, One Time Pad inspired security.
Theon leverages the advantages of the only known “perfect” encryption technique, the One Time Pad (OTP) while solving for its obstacles to adoption at scale — the necessity for a key size equal to the size of the data it’s protecting — with a breakthrough key creation and storage solution that omits the need for large key transmission. Provided within a symmetric solution using private keys and leveraging proprietary software, Theon separates itself from standard-use ciphers such as RSA that are vulnerable to factorization.
Theon’s Random Number Generator serves as the foundation for this OTP inspired security, generating higher entropy random numbers without any of the hidden repeats or patterns that can be detected in many of today’s algorithms that merely imitate randomness.
The threats are real, yes, but so are the solutions. Theon offers an approach that mitigates the emerging threats of AI and quantum tech, generating high-entropy, quantum-resistant keys at scale with speed and economy, setting a new standard for software-based cryptography, and representing a decisive step toward the goals of quantum-proof encryption and perfect secrecy for businesses
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Don’t wait until a problem becomes a crisis — Get in touch with a Theon expert today to find out how you can fortify your organization’s defenses against threats from AI and quantum tech. We also have free eBooks available for download, including our latest, The Big Clock, which outlines the urgency for updated cryptography with a rundown of the best quantum-resistant encryption solutions available.