Quantum Leap: Improving Cybersecurity for the Next Era of Computing by Focusing on Users
W. Stone Holden, Michael Gerardi
The need to secure communications is critical for militaries and has offered an advantage in battle across history for those who do it well. The advent of new technologies offers ways of securing information, which appears impenetrable by the standards of their era, and this is true today. Quantum computing seems to provide a variety of benefits in defense applications, including protecting communications and the ability to decrypt information protected by some of today’s encryption standards. While it is tempting to focus on investing heavily in quantum communications with the promise that this technology offers in securing communications, it would be foolish to ignore the human elements. This article brings historical parallels that offer insights into the potential weaknesses of heavy investment and application of this technology. Historical examples (specifically the experience of the Germans in World War II with their Enigma encryption machines) show that even the most capable encryption systems can be made ineffective by human error or laziness. Any investment by the defense community into quantum communications must be matched by an equal focus on developing a workforce that is more capable of properly handling and managing those systems, or the investment may be in vain. That investment should include improved cybersecurity training across the workforce and increased focus on Cybersecurity at Professional Military Education waypoints for leaders. With these steps, the Department of Defense (DoD) may be able to avoid the mistakes of previous generations who relied too much on the promises of technology without shoring up the fragile humans who were essential to making that technology ultimately successful.
The Cyber Defense Review•Apr 1, 2024•0 citations