In an increasingly connected world that relies on digital technology, cybersecurity has become a fundamental pillar to guarantee the integrity and confidentiality of information. As technology advances by leaps and bounds, new threats constantly challenge our capabilities to protect critical data and systems.
Artificial intelligence, with its ability to learn, adapt, and make decisions autonomously, has revolutionized various fields, from healthcare to the
Automotive industry. This, combined with quantum computing, can generate great tools and strategies never before seen or contemplated.
Narciso Lema, a community technical leader in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, and IBM LCR and an expert in computing and Artificial intelligence, exemplifies this with the case of Mercedes Benz, with whom they are working to create new materials.
In this process, quantum computing is involved in “optimizing scenarios and modeling molecules.” This also happens in financial or scientific scenarios, where quantum computers help to find the best options within a project.
Quantum computing is a revolutionary paradigm in computer science that seeks to perform calculations at a speed and efficiency that far exceeds classical computers.
Unlike traditional computers, which use bits as units of information in either a 0 or 1 state, quantum computers employ qubits (quantum bits), which can be in multiple states simultaneously thanks to quantum superposition. This allows operations to be executed in parallel, providing impressive potential for solving complex problems much more quickly.
This opens the door to quantum communication and problem-solving in cryptography, optimization, simulation of physical systems, and other fields of science that have so far been inaccessible to traditional computers. However, the road ahead is full of great challenges.
Lema explains that quantum computing is currently at an early stage on its path to widespread adoption, and some technological fronts need to be stabilized.
IBM made history in 2021 when it created the most powerful quantum computer ever. But at that time, it also opened the door to many questions related to cybersecurity because as technology advances, so do the strategies and mechanisms for breaching computer systems.
Cybersecurity in the world of quantum computing
With this in mind, artificial intelligence has also contributed to the exponential growth of processes related to quantum computing. This includes cybersecurity, which has strengthened information protection by enabling the development of more sophisticated encryption algorithms.
These can be used to generate passwords and certificates and secure the encryption of connections, files, and data. However, this could also be a double-edged sword. Today, most encryption algorithms use symmetric and asymmetric encryption. But be careful; these algorithms are based on mathematical operations that can be solved with a quantum computer in seconds.
In other words, the possibility of large-scale attacks that can overcome some cryptographic barriers and outdated security mechanisms is contemplated.
“There are algorithms that are a threat to the encryption methods we have. So, I understand that what we are doing is understanding how to go to classical computing and prepare to coexist,” explains Lema.
Quantum computing is not a big problem today, as its use is minimal, but that does not mean that it will not be a problem in the future. That is why, little by little, more companies specializing in technology, software development, and cybersecurity are preparing to face the challenges of tomorrow.