We caught up with Armando Nolasco Pinto to learn more about his team’s work at the Instituto de Telecomunicações, Aveiro branch, in Portugal.
The interview focused on the Quantum Communications research group, with special attention to the late-April blackout. The discussion highlighted how quantum technologies can help prevent future blackouts, protect system integrity, and bolster cybersecurity in the face of cyberattacks and other threats during such events.
Armando Nolasco Pinto, coordinator of the Quantum Communications group in Aveiro, also chairs the Technical Committee for Standardization in Quantum Technologies, which coordinates national participation in European and international standardization efforts.
1. Can you briefly explain what your research in the quantum field consists of? Could you also highlight one project and what it aims to achieve in terms of results?
At the Quantum Communications group of the Instituto de Telecomunicações, we develop systems and services that explore the quantum nature of light to do what is not possible with purely classical technologies. Our focus has been on quantum cryptography, and we have been developing secure communication and computation systems and services for entities that require high levels of information confidentiality. Typically, we have been working in the fields of critical public infrastructure, defense, and genomic medicine. For example, in the PTQCI project, we are implementing the first nodes of the Portuguese National Quantum Network; in the DISCRETION project, we developed a cryptographic keys distribution system for military applications; and in QuantaGenomics and NATO QSCAN projects, we are developing secure computing services based on quantum cryptographic keys.
2. Based on your knowledge, is it plausible that quantum technologies could somehow be related to incidents like the April blackout?
From the publicly available information, there is no indication that the incident could have been due to an attack using a quantum computer or similar technology. It appears that a failure triggered a chain reaction, which ultimately led to the blackout.
3. Is there anything in this type of event that raises more critical concerns for your field of study?
What this event revealed is the level of complexity and interdependence of current systems, and our enormous reliance on a set of critical infrastructures, in this case, the electric power distribution network. These infrastructures have been growing rapidly, and we have become increasingly dependent on them. Therefore, we must acknowledge the need to make them more robust against failures and cyberattacks. We must also organize ourselves as a society to continue operating with reasonable normality, even in the event of a blackout in one of these infrastructures.
3. To what extent can quantum technologies help strengthen or compromise cybersecurity in critical infrastructures?
The quantum computer can break some of the algorithms we currently use to protect our systems. Therefore, we must transition to systems that are robust even against attacks carried out with a quantum computer. The way to do this is known, but it requires the will to begin this transition process consistently and assertively. We’re talking about a transition that will take years. If we wait for the first significant attack using a quantum computer to begin the process, it will be too late!
4. Do you think we are prepared, technologically and legislatively, to deal with threats posed by advances in quantum computing?
Currently, we are not prepared, but we must follow the directives issued by the European Commission and recognize that this is a very serious issue.
5. What role could quantum computing or cryptography play in preventing cyberattacks?
Quantum cryptography will be one piece of the puzzle. I believe that in the future, we will have hybrid systems that combine both classical and quantum technologies to protect the information that circulates through our communication networks or that is stored in data centers.
6. What would be needed to integrate this type of technology into current critical systems?
We recently implemented a pilot network in Aveiro with five nodes, where we distributed quantum keys to various applications using both commercial systems and a quantum system developed in our laboratories. Technology is available. Of course, it still needs further development, but this is true for all technological transformation processes. Above all, what is needed is recognition of how vulnerable we can become, along with a clear definition of a plan to initiate the transition process. The transition won’t be immediate; it will take time, and so we must prioritize the most critical infrastructure and start there, gradually expanding to cover all other types of services.
7. Could Monday’s blackout be a wake-up call? Should we invest more in the interface between quantum science and digital security?
The blackout should be seen as a wake-up call. In my view, what we experienced was due to a technical failure, and thus the damage was limited. If someday, let’s hope not, we experience a blackout, or something similar, caused by a premeditated and orchestrated attack on a critical infrastructure, the potential to cause damage will be much greater, and the consequences could be far worse. That’s why we must prepare ourselves and recognize our vulnerabilities. Security is not a given; it is something we must care for and safeguard every day.
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