Between 2009 and 2020, the government of Canada invested to build the footing for Canada’s global leadership in quantum science. In Budget 2021, the Canadian government proposed further investments of $360 million over seven years to:
Launch a National Quantum Strategy
- Bolster the growth of companies and talent in the quantum industry
- Encourage the development of quantum-ready technologies
- Solidify Canada’s leadership in quantum research
Quantum technology might not become commercially available for another decade. Nonetheless, it’s time for the government of Canada and Canadian businesses and academia to join forces to elevate Canada as a global leader in the quantum industry.
Quantum Key for Canada’s Long-Term Economic Prosperity
Although quantum computing has huge implications for information security, data protection isn’t the only focus of the National Quantum Strategy. The government of Canada points out the long-term growth and resilience of Canada’s economy as one of the goals of its quantum program.
Why exactly?
When the adoption of quantum technology begins, quantum computing will replace traditional computing in sectors like communications, navigation, cybersecurity, and healthcare. As quantum becomes a reality, governments and businesses worldwide will gradually ramp up investments in the field to hopefully gain a competitive advantage.
Here’s where early investments and research efforts can have huge benefits over the long run. If Canada does become a leader in the quantum industry, here’s what can happen:
Lucrative job opportunities in research, software and hardware engineering, technical support, sales, and other fields can attract highly skilled specialists to Canada – both from within the country and from abroad
Through the accumulation of talent, Canada can accelerate quantum research and adoption ahead of its competitors
Canadian businesses specializing in quantum computing can reap considerable benefits as local and international clients start addressing them to transfer their systems and products into a quantum-ready state
3 Pillars of Canada’s Quantum Leadership
We believe that the quantum future of Canada depends on these three factors:
- Government support, whether in the form of standards, regulations, or investments
- Collaboration between researchers, scientists, businesses, and the government
- Attention to the cybersecurity aspects of quantum computing, not just its technological and economic possibilities
Canada has the potential to become a global quantum hub if we do everything right. However, although economic prosperity is important, businesses, academia, and the government shouldn’t forget about the negative impact of quantum computing on cybersecurity.
Quantum Cybersecurity for Long-Term Success
If you, as a decision-maker or a business owner, wish to achieve long-term success and resilience, you must start taking concrete steps right now to prepare for the quantum future.
We consider quantum cybersecurity a priority because quantum computing is an immediate and devastating threat to all cryptographic methods that are today considered industry-standard. Although quantum computers have good implications for technology, research, and society, they’ll also be able to crack any data encryption method we use today.
For Canada, preparing for tomorrow isn’t just about attracting global talent or leading quantum research efforts. It’s also about adapting new data protection measures and standards to quantum technology.
Quantum-secure cryptography is foundational for Canada’s chances of securing the position of a global leader in the quantum industry. By thinking about the essentials first, we’ll be able to build the basis for Canada’s quantum leap far, far into the future.
What Businesses Can Do for a Secure Quantum Future
As a business, what can you do for your, and Canada’s, quantum future? What should your quantum strategy be? Even though government support will play a huge role in our efforts to prepare for the quantum tomorrow, cybersecurity vendors and businesses need to act as well.
Your quantum strategy should be built on the following two foundations:
- Upgrading to quantum-secure data protection to prepare for tomorrow’s threats as soon as you can. Y2Q is just around the corner, and the quantum threat might become a reality as early as within just 3-5 years.
- Preventing cybersecurity incidents and minimizing data leaks today. Cybersecurity experts and governments have reason to believe that hackers are holding on to stolen data that they cannot crack just yet. Hackers and nation-states will get their hands on quantum computers sooner or later – and when they do, they’ll have access to every military and business secret they’ve stolen over the years.
Both of these points imply that you must act quickly to be able to protect yourself. If you don’t complete your transition to quantum-secure protection before Y2Q, your network infrastructure will be defenceless against quantum attacks. And if you fail to protect your sensitive data now, it will fall prey to the “Harvest now, crack later” strategy. A year later or ten years later – any piece of your data that is stolen now is not safe in the long run.
Fortunately, both of these issues can be solved with just one action – switching to a quantum-ready data protection solution. A quantum-secure solution will not only prepare you for Y2Q, but it will also protect you from the “Harvest now, crack later” scheme. Even if your data were stolen, it would be secure from quantum attacks because it would be protected by quantum-ready encryption.
Quantropi for Canada’s Quantum Cybersecurity
At Quantropi, we’re firm proponents of future-proofing cybersecurity. Rather than react to changes in the cybersecurity industry as they happen, we believe that governments and businesses should adopt a forward-thinking approach to protect themselves against potential threats long before they become a problem.
We’re the only cybersecurity company in the world providing the 3 prerequisites for cryptographic integrity: Trust, Uncertainty, and Entropy (TrUE). Powered by quantum mechanics expressed as linear algebra, our patented TrUE technologies establish Trust between any two parties via quantum-secure asymmetric MASQ™ encryption (coming soon); ensure Uncertainty to attackers, rendering data uninterpretable forever, with QEEP™ symmetric encryption; and provide Quantum Entropy as a Service (QEaaS) with SEQUR™ – ultra-random key generation and distribution to enable secure data communications. All Quantropi’s TrUE technologies are accessible via our flagship QiSpace™ platform.
Remember, if you don’t take action now, the ship will have sailed by the time quantum technology starts showing signs of adoption. With Quantropi, you can start laying a foundation for the quantum-ready infrastructure of tomorrow with the resources of today.
To start your transition to quantum-secure protection, get in touch with us today!
