With the invention of the internet to its widespread adoption and everyday use, one major concern has always been security.

As more and more sensitive information moves online, it makes sense that ensuring the protection of these materials takes a front seat.

And major cybersecurity companies have made quite a bit of money doing just that. Whether we’re talking about huge corporations, individual people, or governments, everyone needs cybersecurity to some degree.

While the level of security varies considerably, security alone is of major importance to all who require it.

Fast forward to today and new cybersecurity concerns start to pop up. Why? AI…

That’s right, as we’re on the cusp of widespread AI adoption across all aspects of the tech world, cybersecurity is getting a second look from companies and governments across the globe.

Right now, one of the concerns is that, with the help of AI, hackers will more easily be able to infiltrate secure servers and data centers.

Of course, the reverse is also true…

With the help of AI, cybersecurity firms will be able to better protect their client's assets.

This creates a sort of tug-of-war scenario where the firms with the most bleeding-edge technology will have a leg up on the rest of the competition and stay one step ahead of would-be hackers.

But all of this gets flipped on its head when you add quantum computing into the equation…

A Quantum Leap in Capabilities

You see, large-scale quantum computers will significantly expand computing power, creating new opportunities for improving cybersecurity as well as new threats.

Fortunately, quantum computers are currently only available in infant stages to the biggest tech companies and research firms.

This is of course due to their massive energy and resource consumption requirements. But times are changing rapidly…

What was once science fiction will soon be reality and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a world where we all have quantum computers on our desks in the near future.

That being said, we are still a ways off for a variety of reasons, but technology improves exponentially.

So, quantum-era cybersecurity will wield the power to detect and deflect quantum-era cyber attacks before they cause harm.

But it could become a double-edged sword, as quantum computing may also create new exposures, such as the ability to quickly solve the difficult math problems that are the basis of some forms of encryption.

While post-quantum cryptography standards are still being finalized, businesses and other organizations can start preparing today.

The advent of quantum computing will lead to changes to encryption methods.

Currently, the most widely used algorithms are based on difficult mathematical problems, such as factoring large numbers, which can take thousands of years on today’s most powerful supercomputers.

However, research conducted by Peter Shor at MIT more than 20 years ago demonstrated the same problem could theoretically be solved in days or hours on a large-scale quantum computer.

Future quantum computers may be able to break encryption solutions that are conventionally impossible to crack with current technology.

And even though large-scale quantum computers are not yet commercially available, initiating quantum cybersecurity solutions will carry significant advantages.

Not only for the companies employing the use of quantum cybersecurity solutions but the companies that develop those solutions.

And large companies at the forefront of quantum computing will likely benefit the most at first thanks to the prohibitive requirements to even begin working in quantum computing.

I expect companies like IBM, Google, Microsoft, and more will be putting forth a large effort to further develop quantum computing standards and security measures.

This is definitely something to keep an eye on over the next few years. Of course, I’ll be sure to keep you up to date on any major developments that I see.