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0:04
I'd like to talk to you
about a real-world case
based on some of
my own research.
At TechCorp a motion
was prominent
in the pursuit of innovation,
and affected how the
organisation was able to issue
Quantum Key Distribution
technology, here on QKD.
QKD is a particularly
novel form of
security technology that was
necessary to protect
digital communications
from the emerging quantum
computing threats.
0:28
To provide you with
some background,
TechCorp is a
multi-technology incumbent
operating in well over
150 countries globally.
Their turnover exceeded
$35 billion in 2020,
and they have a reputation
for being one of
the most forward-looking and
innovative organisations
in terms of security
technologies and solutions.
However, with significant
global developments being
made and a functioning quantum
computer on the horizon,
TechCorp have had
to find new ways
to secure digital
communications.
Currently, these are encrypted
using classical mathematics.
But the quantum computer
promises to be capable of
solving these
mathematical problems and
rendering these
communications insecure.
This poses a significant threat
gjven the prevalence of
the digital economy,
amongst other things, is
almost totally reliant
on secure communication
capabilities.
Quantum key distribution
is a quantum technology.
This is a family of
innovations that use
the principles of
quantum physics
to achieve certain ends.
In the case of QKD,
quantum mechanics
are harnessed to
provide totally secure
communications.
By encrypting communications
and transmitting the encrypted
keys in particles of light,
any attempt to hack
these communications
is detectable by users.
More importantly, because QKD
does not rely on
classical mathematics,
it is not susceptible to being
hacked by a quantum computer.
Nevertheless, the pursuit QKD as
a particularly novel
form of technology
was not without its
challenges at TechCorp,
especially because
QKD represented a
significant step away
from the status quo
and required the development of
fundamentally new knowledge
and capabilities.