Tag Archive for: implications

Quantum Technology: Gartner’s Hype Cycle and its Implications for National Security Policy

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The 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three scientists “for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violations of Bell Inequalities and pioneering quantum information science”. The press release dated October 04, 2022, noted that “the ineffable effects of quantum mechanics are starting to find applications and that the one very factor is how quantum mechanics allow two or more particles to exist in an entangled state and what happens to one of the particles of an entangled pair determines what happens to the other particle, even if they are far apart.

Quantum Technology

Quantum technology is any class of technology new or old that works by using the principles of quantum mechanics. Quantum technology revolutionises the concept of information processing from the earlier mechanical to digital mode a step further. It uses the dynamics of quantum physics or the behaviour of the universe’s smallest particles, the atom and the behaviour of matter at the sub-atomic scale. Quantum phenomenon is not new but was the basis of development of lasers and semi-conductors since the 1950s. Emerging quantum information technologies will lead to development of quantum computers, radars, cryptography and other systems by utilising the principles of quantum physics. At the very basic level, the technologies use the quantum principles of “entanglement” and “superposition” to share information by ways that are not possible in the classic electronic computers.

Superposition

Superposition is a term to describe the ability of any particle to exist across many states at the same time until it is measured so a particle is said to be in a “superposition” of all those possible states. Superposition has an implication on the concept of computing. Today’s computing involves information in bits; either zero or one. Quantum computers would process information in quantum bits or qubits which can be one, zero or a superposition of the two states which is huge number of possible states making computation exponentially faster than the most advanced available traditional computers today. In a coin analogy a bit is like a tossed coin…

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Four Implications For Business Leaders

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Jackie Shoback is cofounder and managing director of 1414 Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund focused on digital identity.

In today’s business environment, data is one of the most valuable assets a company possesses. Customer data fuels insights, product/service development, personalized experiences and relevant go-to-market strategies. Many companies routinely share their customers’ data with their partners, which is a key component of their business model. Privacy laws such as CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) and GDPR (the European version) regulate the data storage, sharing and disclosure practices for consumer data in today’s digital economy and are disrupting these business models and the way data value transfer works.

In addition to data privacy, data security is also a key priority for all companies. Failure in either one of these areas can result in huge expenses—the average cost of a data breach in 2022 is $4.35 million. But even worse and beyond the dollar value is the long-term negative impact a data privacy breach or non-compliance will have on brand, reputation and trust erosion.

The more first party-data that is shared, the greater the risk of compromising both data privacy and security. Therefore, it’s a strategic obligation for business leaders to understand the difference between privacy and security, the changing business landscape, its impact on business models and how emerging technologies can help meet the new regulatory requirements and customers’ expectations.

Data Privacy

Data privacy is based upon the premise that personal identifiable information belongs to an individual and that they should be able to determine what, how, when and to whom their information is shared or communicated. Recent regulatory and market trends support more individual control, more consent and greater transparency, so companies holding customer data must meet these legal requirements.

The previous practice of consumer data being captured by one company and then sold to another without consent led to mistrust. In fact, privacy has become a competitive differentiator now. Take Apple with their iPhone privacy protection features, which provide…

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Cyber Element in the Russia-Ukraine War & its Global Implications

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The recent Taiwan visit by US Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi brought the increasing cyber threats to national security to light again. According to Taipei Times, systems like electronic bulletin boards at railway stations and convenience stores were hacked, and government websites were attacked and brought down, even before Pelosi arrived on the island nation.

It was reported that television screens behind cashiers in some of the 7-Eleven convenience stores—a US-based multinational retail company—were compromised to display statements like “Warmonger Pelosi, get out of Taiwan!”. In another instance, an electronic board at the Sinzuoying railway station showed a message in simplified Chinese which translated into “The visit of the old witch to Taiwan is a serious challenge to the core of the country. Those who actively welcome it will eventually be judged by people, the blood ties of the same race will continue to be separated, great China will eventually be unified”.

Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s digital minister, highlighted that before and after the visit, Taiwan observed 23 times higher cyberattacks than the previous daily record. However, without directly blaming any state or non-state actor for the attacks, Taipei underlined that the attacks originated from addresses in China and Russia.   

At the recently concluded DEFCON—a US-based annual hacker convention—the White House National Cyber Director, Chris Inglis, remarked that “the way forward for cybersecurity is defence, defined roles and responsibilities, and investing in resilience and robustness”. He stressed the ‘three-wave of attacks’ observed in recent years. The three waves focus on –

  1. Holding data and systems at risk
  2. Keeping the data and systems at risk but abstracting it into holding critical functions at risk
  3. Attack on confidence

He asserted that while there is a lack of imagination and anticipation of future attacks, there is also a need for clarity on roles and responsibilities, strengthening supply chains, and focus on collective defence. According to him, “the attackers seek to defeat one, and in the process, they are able to defeat all.”

From this perspective,…

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AV-Comparatives Explains the Implications of Takeovers in the IT-Security Industry

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Logo AV-Comparatives

Logo AV-Comparatives

The graph shows a timeline from year 2003 to 2021 with an overview of selected IT-security acquisitions.

AV-Comparatives Explains the Implications of Takeovers in the IT-Security Industry

The photo shows a computer screen photographed through glasses, which is held in front of it.

AV-Comparatives Explains the Implications of Takeovers in the IT-Security Industry

Test results can illustrate how purchased products have been developed

Our test results can help uncover any technical changes resulting from AV-vendor acquisitions.”

— Andreas Clementi, founder and CEO, AV-Comparatives

INNSBRUCK, TYROL, AUSTRIA, November 29, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — In recent years, there have been many acquisitions of security software manufacturers. This article considers the implications of such takeovers, with regard to cybersecurity, consumer choice and other factors. AV-Comparatives notes that their test results can help uncover any technical changes resulting from AV-vendor acquisitions.

McAfee’s consumer division has just been purchased by investors. NortonLifeLock, which produces the Norton Security consumer AV product, is taking over Avast. This means that the Norton, BullGuard, Avast, AVG, and Avira security products will be under the same ownership.

Are takeovers of antivirus vendors a good or a bad thing?

When one antivirus vendor buys another, it is arguable that combining the best protection technologies of the two products can bring about an improvement in security. Balanced against this is the fact that the market will take a step in the direction of a monopoly when a competing vendor disappears. As a general rule, monopolies are a bad thing and competition is a good thing. Where a monopoly exists, there is no consumer choice, and the vendor has no incentive to improve its product or service, or to lower its prices. In the specific case of antivirus programs, a monopoly would be especially bad, because malware authors would only have one type of defence to bypass in order to infect computers. However, it’s also true that investment in an antivirus vendor will allow that company to improve its research and development facilities, thus improving its product’s protection against malware.

So, the answer to the question above is that it depends very…

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