GAO Identifies Quantum Computing a Threat to National Security

(EETimes) The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report on long-range emerging threats to national security facing the United States as identified by four federal agencies. In its threat analysis, it flagged autonomous and unmanned systems (which would include drones) as well as internet-of-things (IoT) security and the ability for quantum computing to break established encryption capability.GAO developed four broad categories for 26 long-range emerging threats that officials identified: adversaries’ political and military advancements, dual-use technologies, weapons, and events and demographic changes.
Under the “dual-use technologies” category, it says that quantum computing could enable adversaries to both develop secure communications that cannot be intercepted or decrypted and decrypt information that enables them to target U.S. personnel and military operations.
It’s timely that the GAO report from the U.S. should highlight threats such as these. With quantum computing just around the corner, we need to start thinking about new dynamic approaches to security.