Is quantum computing about to break all modern encryption?

Gaurav Dhar (0:00)

On this episode, we go back to March, when Ronit and I sat down with Steve Suarez, who spent 20 years at HSBC and now teaches quantum strategy at MIT. We also sat down with Mr. Garfield, who ran post-quantum cryptography work at the US Department of Homeland Security. We got into Q-Day, the day a quantum computer can break the encryption behind every bank login and card payment, and why data stolen today can be unlocked later. The good news is the fixed order exists, and the people who prepare early will pay less for it.

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Ronit Ghose (0:50)

Garfield, welcome.

Garfield Jones (0:53)

Thank you.

Ronit Ghose (0:54)

Steve, thanks for joining us.

Steve Suarez (0:56)

Thank you.

Ronit Ghose (0:57)

We're going to be talking about quantum and post quantum, but more importantly, why it matters today. We're going to take quantum out of the physics lab and put it into the boardroom.

Garfield, you currently work for a quantum security company, but before that, tell us a little bit about Garfield before the private sector.

Garfield Jones (1:18)

Sure. Again, thanks for having me here.

I currently work for a post quantum cryptography company called Qsecure. Before Qsecure, I was with Department of Homeland Security, US Department of Homeland Security. I was the Associate Chief of Strategic Technology which basically meant I was running all the post quantum cryptography initiative that was associated with the government. We were basically putting out policies, trying to put things in place to get agencies ready for PQC.

Ronit Ghose (1:51)

So you were deep in the bowels of the deep state. Why did DC and the government start caring about quantum computing and post quantum cryptography way before the corporate sector, the private sector? Like, governments have been all over this, the US government's been all over this, and you were literally, maybe not in the bowels, maybe not in the basement, but you were the heart.

Steve Suarez (2:16)

Can I say heart?

Ronit Ghose (2:17)

You were the heart of the US national security establishment looking at this topic way before my very sensible, very practical private sector friends. Like, what?

Steve Suarez (2:29)

Why?

Garfield Jones (2:30)

Well, with the advent of a sufficiently powerful quantum computer, and we call it a CRQC, a cryptographically relevant quantum computer, it will be able to break all public key encryption, which is like your RSA, your ECC, elliptic curve, anything that's sending data.

Ronit Ghose (2:48)

No, no, no.

Gaurav Dhar (2:50)

Sorry.

Garfield Jones (2:53)

So all your text messages.

Ronit Ghose (2:54)

That was a lot of acronyms, though.

Gaurav Dhar (2:55)

I understand where you came from. That was a lot of like, did he lose you at RSA? No, no, no. For me, that's scary. It just woke me up better than the coffee did.

Ronit Ghose (3:05)

But basically it's saying all encryption blows up.

Gaurav Dhar (3:08)

All encryption blows up.

Garfield Jones (3:09)

All public key encryption, all your text messages, all your business.

Gaurav Dhar (3:12)

TLDR, there's no secrecy. All your cards. There are no secrets. Basically, there are no secrets.

Steve Suarez (3:16)

All those photos that you've been hiding?

Gaurav Dhar (3:18)

What photos?

Ronit Ghose (3:20)

Steve, you told me iPhone was PQC. Now here.

Gaurav Dhar (3:23)

SMS. I need to send a signal. This is like that movie with Robert Redford and Ben Kingsley, right? C-Tech Astronomy, Too Many Secrets, Sneakers. Have you seen that movie, Sneakers? Oh my God. Sneakers is the best hacker movie. One of the first hacker movies that ever was on Ben Kingsley. Was it Sidney Poitier?

Next flight.

Ronit Ghose (3:44)

I'll see if Emirates has it on the back.

Gaurav Dhar (3:46)

Too many secrets. No more secrets.

Ronit Ghose (3:47)

There'll be no more secrets is what you're saying.

Garfield Jones (3:49)

Well, the more relevant to what you guys do is the financial aspect of it and that's really where the problem comes in. But with that breaking the public key encryption, all your data is going to be out there and the government was really interested. They really started to get interested because as we got closer and closer to what we thought was going to break, the government's like, what's going to happen to our data? We've got a lot of sensitive data, a lot of secrets.

Gaurav Dhar (4:17)

A lot of secrets. A lot of secrets in DC.

Garfield Jones (4:19)

A lot of secrets in, well, all over the world.

Gaurav Dhar (4:21)

And in Virginia. All over the world.

Garfield Jones (4:25)

It's like, everybody's got secrets. Yeah, I got secrets.