At the Forefront of the Quantum Revolution

Quantum technologies are expected to propel dramatic leaps in computational capability, important advances in sensor design, and new strategies for accurately communicating quantum information. These increased measurement and processing capabilities would catalyze revolutionary advancements in nearly every industry and discipline—national security, communications, healthcare, materials engineering, manufacturing, and finance sectors all stand to gain.

Through legislation and executive action, the federal government is working to ensure U.S. leadership in QIST and several commercial sectors are responding to the call. Organizations across industry are rallying together to test hardware, design software, and support applied research into how quantum will affect their fields. Booz Allen is committed to supporting this work. We help our clients understand how quantum technologies will impact their missions and businesses, and how early investment can secure future advantage. It is pivotal to begin this planning today to ensure that organizations are ready to leverage the technology to its full potential with first-mover advantage. We can provide customized quantum support to your organization, federal agency, or national laboratory. 

Advancements in QIST are challenging our understanding of what future computing, communications, and sensing technologies will look like and have compelling potential implications across the government and private sectors. Continued dedication to furthering QIST, as well as proactive moves toward information security in a quantum-enabled world, is key to building the partnerships and knowledge the United States needs to embrace these exciting technologies as they continue to mature.

Quantum computing has received a significant amount of attention thanks to a few demonstrations of quantum computational supremacy—an experimental demonstration of a quantum algorithm on quantum hardware that is able to do something not possible on today’s computers. 

However, we are unable to talk about the benefits of QIST without acknowledging the cyberthreat it will pose. Quantum computers will threaten how businesses secure critical data due to their ability to solve the difficult math problems that are the basis for some modern encryption standards. Additionally, the unprecedented ability of quantum sensors and quantum communications may require us to rethink other aspects of information security. 

Luckily, we do not have to wait for a full-scale quantum computer to start protecting critical data from the threats it presents. Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is the use of current algorithms to secure our data from future, quantum computers. Government entities, led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), are already in the process of choosing the best PQC standards for future cybersecurity. At Booz Allen, we know that transitioning to new cybersecurity standards is no easy task. Transition planning and migration timelines will require unique, business-specific strategies to ensure the continued security of data when quantum computers capable of decrypting the current standards arrive. We engage with clients on all aspects of preparing for this transition, from the identification of assets of highest priority to transition to PQC to the testing of PQC algorithms in sandbox environments.