We are connected 24x7 by the internet, but are not that safe anymore. A new breed of criminals is making our world a more complicated place to live, by causing damages in an unprecedented manner. Data security is about to become our biggest concern in the days to come.
However, to meet the necessary safety requirements, we need to adapt to quantum computing. The article discusses how the entire computing industry is going to be shaped by the single largest concern of ours.
In the age of internet, cybercrime is not a new word. But, given the harm a handful of people sitting in a room can do with laptops and internet connections, it is not a word to be taken lightly. The recent cyber-attacks on heavyweight organizations like Sony, Facebook and even the CIA are testimonies to the fact that how vulnerable our biggest names are.
Even, a malware named ‘Gameover Zeus’, programmed by a Russian Hacker, has been on the headlines for allegedly infecting millions of computers around the world and stealing sensitive details that are used to steal money from bank accounts. It is estimated that around $100 million has already been stolen and the FBI has declared a bounty that is worth a fortune for a commoner.
Under such circumstances, the governments, private organizations and common people from all around the world must ponder over data security issues and take necessary steps towards putting cybercriminals behind the bar. But before that, we must find a way to stop or at least slow down the hackers. It is quite clear that present day internet protocols, anti-malwares and firewalls are unable to prevent the criminals. Also, with the ‘internet of things’ on the horizon, even our televisions and microwaves will be a part of the internet very soon. Then, how can we shield ourselves in the face of such grave challenges that breed on connectivity?
Thankfully, our scientists have found the answer. Secure communications that are a few notch above the present standards can be possible with a futuristic technology called quantum cryptography. For the uninitiated, cryptography is the specialized study of techniques used to encode and decode messages that propagates through a medium or channel. Quantum cryptography makes clever use of the principles of quantum mechanics to create secure sockets that will encapsulate the message in such a manner that only the intended receiver will be able to decode it.
Such an advanced technique also eliminates the possibility to corrupt or decode the data, even if it is intercepted by a hacker. But for this to turn into a reality in a scale that will be accessible to the mass, we need to embrace quantum computers too. At present, quantum computers are the most advanced computers in terms of hardware and processing prowess; only a few organizations like NASA, Google and an US Intelligence Agency has employed quantum computers. But the day is not far when the internet will become so complicated and data security so crucial, that only quantum computers will be able to shoulder the payloads.
From top class companies and their data centers, to servers and finally on every common people’s hand – this is the route envisaged by pioneers in the field of computing for the acceptance of quantum computers. But this will not happen overnight; it is estimated that 3 to 5 decades are necessary to make this happen, which means it will be a slow death for conventional computers.
Hardware manufacturers will thus need to change their focus slowly but steadily and invest in research and development to maintain a competitive edge in the days to come, or else, they will suffer the same fate that of IBM when the business of personal computers skyrocketed. Also, there will be something for small and medium enterprises engaged in electronic waste recycling and allied asset recovery service.
People are now moving to cloud and discarding conventional data storage mechanisms. Also, new gizmos are replacing old ones and millions of working computers are flagged as redundant, either due to sheer necessity or due to dazzling consumerism. The next wave of revolution is the internet of things, followed by quantum computers and the likes. It is quite evident that there will be no dearth of business for firms engaged in IT asset recovery for corporates and individuals, only the value chain will keep on changing.
Leon Grant is an independent researcher associated with Eplanet Enterprise LLC – a e-waste recycling firm engaged in IT asset recovery. With the growing importance of data and other intangible digital asset recovery service, Leon tries to analyze and relate the upcoming trends in the computing industry with these type of companies.
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