Securing IoT devices – A necessity in modern times
In the past decades, the world of tech and devices has seen a continuous, rapid change that has led to almost all modern people owning an IoT device. In 2015, numbers were already absurdly high when it came to consumers and technology, an estimated 6 billion IoT devices being under the property. What statistics show is that a massive surge will arise, by 2030 being expected for about 150 billion devices to be under the property, which means that it is estimated for each person to own 15 IoT devices.
We are reliant on our tech devices, after all, connectivity standing at the core of our functioning in society. Whether it is the smartphone we use to update social media, the computer we play games online with friends on, or the new smart home additions that make our lives easier like smart door locks that know when you are approaching as they connect with your smartphone and automatically open or thermostats that adjust the temperature when you command them remotely so that you find the environment indoors to your liking when you arrive home, what is clear is that quality of life is linked to device modernization these days.
Making sure that the devices we use in our homes and for other personal purposes are safe is, thus, a necessity as a potential breach could end up destroying one’s life as money could be lost, precious data could be shared all over the internet, identity theft could even occur, and so on. Woefully, we are not at the point where we can breathe easy knowing that our devices and accounts are impenetrable, no matter how secure the devices we use promise to be, but in the near future the situation might look brighter if ongoing efforts are fruitful.
Statistics regarding security breaches of IoT devices
IoT devices are prime targets of hacks due to their ability to connect to the internet and the widespread usage they enjoy and that is bound to stretch exponentially as the years pass. The first wave of attacks started in 2016 and shook consumers and companies to their cores as it presented the awful truth – our lives can be toyed with easily by hackers if proper security measures are not set into place.
The state of California was the first to approve an IoT device security bill which comes into effect in 2020, ensuring that hacking and breaches will be substantially diminished as preset unique passwords for all devices will be mandatory. Basically, until a revolutionary upgrade to security is provided, we are all sensitive to attacks, so evolution must take its course fast for modern people, companies, as well as governments, to be truly safe.
The point where quantum computers are going to surpass classic computers isn’t all that far considering the substantial efforts big governments and a range of companies put into research. Aiming to build a 128-qubit computer within a year, Rigetti, the California-based company, has taken the lead for now. Efforts are coming from different directions, actually, as we are approaching the limits of what a classical computer can do, being in dire need of an evolutionary step that only quantum computing can provide the solution for.
What are qubits?
Quantum bits, also known as qubits, are exponentially more powerful than classic bits used in computing as they can fulfill both ‘0’ and ‘1’ states at the same time, allowing a vaster multitude of different outcomes when the system is computing problems. This superior storage of information and speed in processing makes qubits inherently superior to classic bits.
As it has been proven that two qubits of information within a single integrated chip can be fully controlled, it shows that not much time is left until researchers and experts will figure out how to re-program them to perform different tasks and run various applications.
Yes, the processor is still primitive, so before we dream about quantum computing reaching our homes and quantum chips being integrated in our home security systems and other devices we use to enhance their quality and speed up their processes as a whole, we must learn to have patience as there is quite a long way before computations that useful will benefit the masses.
Can quantum chips secure IoT?
As aforementioned, IoT basically refers to all connectible devices we use in our day-to-day lives, so security is of incommensurable importance as all of our data, basically, our lives, could be hacked and leaked if breaches are possible. In the tricky quest to secure IoT while stepping the game up when it comes to speed and performance as well, microprocessors that are unique to each device is the way to go.
The combination of cryptography and quantum physics in the microprocessor-based solution to the next evolutionary step in security is embedded in silicon and generates numerous keys of a cryptographic nature that are basically impossible to pass. As opposed to traditional cryptography that takes up a lot of memory and makes the IoT device cumbersome, the quantum-driven secure chip design is small and lightweight, consumes little power, can be made so that it sells cheap, and doesn’t sacrifice security in the process either.
