Quantum Computing Doomsday Planning: Is Your Organisation Ready?

Quantum computing is often portrayed as an imminent threat, but what exactly is it all about? This presentation is designed for a wide audience of security professionals, and aims to address the most important questions.

We will first introduce the concept of quantum computing, describing the key notions of quantum speed-up and quantum parallelism, as well as the notions of universal computation, scalability, and quantum error correction.

We will then give an overview of quantum computing research, describing the leading companies in the space and their main achievements, such as factoring the number 15 into 3×5 (with high probability). We'll explain the difference between real quantum computing and simulated quantum computing, which is not always made very clear by the vendors.

We will explore the various ways in which quantum computing could impact TLS connections, VPN services, secure messaging, 4G/5G communications, database encryption, and blockchain platforms. This information aims to assist the audience in understanding how to manage risks differently for distinct applications.

Additionally, we will offer guidance on conducting and documenting a risk assessment for your organisation or clientele. Lastly, we will outline practical options for transitioning to post-quantum cryptography by examining the post-quantum offerings of technology companies, including cloud service providers, VPN service providers, and hardware manufacturers.

This presentation does not necessitate any prior knowledge of quantum physics or quantum mechanics, and may even include adorable kitten images