If youre interested in tech, youve likely heard about therace to develop quantum computers. These systems compute via qubits, whichexist not only as ones and zeros (as you find intraditional processors) but also in an in-between state known assuperposition.

For tasks such as cryptography, qubits and superpositionwould allow a quantum computer to analyze every potential solutionsimultaneously, making such systems much faster than conventional computers.Microsoft, Google,IBM, and other firms are all throwing tons of resources into quantum-computingresearch, hoping for a breakthrough that will make them a leader in thisnascent industry.

Questions abound about quantum computing, including whetherthese systems will actually produce the answers that companies really need. Forthose in the tech industry, theres a related interest in whether quantumcomputing will actually produce jobs at scale.

Thelarge tech companies and research laboratories who are leading the charge onR&D in the pure quantum computing hardware space are looking for peoplewith advanced degrees in key STEM fields like physics, math and engineering,said John Prisco, President & CEOof Quantum Xchange, which markets a quantum-safe key distribution thatsupposedly will bridge the gap between traditional encryption solutions andquantum computing-driven security. This is in large part because thereare few programs today that actually offer degrees or specializations inquantum technology.

WhenPrisco was in graduate school, he added, There were four of us in theelectrical engineering program with the kind of physics training this fieldcalls for. More recently, Ive recently seen universities like MIT andColumbia investing in offering this training to current students, but itsgoing to take awhile to produce experts.

Theresevery chance that increased demand for quantum-skilled technologists coulddrive even more universities to spin up the right kind of training andeducation programs. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)is evaluatingpost-quantum cryptography that would replace existing methods, includingpublic-key RSA encryption methods. Time is of the essence when it comes togovernments and companies coming up with these post-quantum algorithms; thenext evolutions in cryptography will render the current generation pretty muchobsolete.

Combinethat quest with the currentshortage of trained cybersecurity professionals, and you start to see wherethe talent and education crunch will hit over the next several years. Whilehackers weaponizing quantum computers themselves is still a far off proposal,the threat of harvesting attacks, where nefarious actors steal encrypted datanow to decrypt later once quantum computers are available, is already here,Prisco said, pointing at Chinas 2015 hack of the U.S. Office of PersonnelManagement, which saw the theft of 21 million government employee records.

Thoughthat stolen data was encrypted and there is no evidence it has been misused todate, the Chinese government is likely sitting on that trove, waiting for theday they have a quantum computer powerful enough to crack public keyencryption, he said. Organizations that store sensitive data with a longshelf-life need to start preparing now. There is no time to waste.

But what will make a good quantum technologist?

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HermanCollins, CEO of StrategicQC, a recruiting agency for the quantum-computingecosystem, believes that sourcing quantum-related talent at this stage comesdown to credentials. Because advanced quantum expertise is rare, the biggest sign thata candidate is qualified is whether they have a degree in one of the fields ofstudy that relates to quantum computing, he said. I would say that degrees,particularly advanced degrees, such as quantum physics obviously, physicstheory, math or computer science are a good start. A focus on machine learningor artificial intelligence would be excellent as part of an augmented dynamicquantum skill set.

Although Google, IBM, and theU.S. government have infinite amounts of money to throw at talent, smallercompanies are occasionally posting jobs for quantum-computing talent. Collinsthinks that, despite the relative lack of resources, these small companies haveat least a few advantages when it comes to attracting the right kind of veryhighly specialized talent.

Smaller firms and startups canoften speak about the ability to do interesting work that will impactgenerations to come and perhaps some equity participation, he said. Likewise,some applicants may be interested in working with smaller firms to buildquantum-related technology from the ground up. Others might prefer a moreclose-knit team environment that smaller firms may offer.

Some 20 percent of thequantum-related positions, Collins continued, are in marketing, sales,management, tech support, and operations. Even if you havent spent yearsstudying quantum computing, in other words, you can still potentially land ajob at a quantum-computing firm, doing all the things necessary to ensure thatthe overall tech stack keeps operating.

It is equally important forcompanies in industries where quantum can have impactful results in the nearerterm begin to recruit and staff quantum expertise now, Collins said.Companies competing in financial services, aerospace, defense, healthcare,telecommunications, energy, transportation, agriculture and others shouldrecognize the vital importance of looking very closely at quantum and addingsome skilled in-house capability.

Given the amount of money andresearch-hours already invested in quantum computing, aswell as some recent (and somewhat controversial) breakthroughs, theresevery chance the tech industry could see an uptick in demand for jobs relatedto quantum computing. Even for those who dont plan on specializing in thisesoteric field, there may be opportunities to contribute.

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Quantum Computing: Will It Actually Produce Jobs? - Dice Insights

By definition, a blockchain is a system, within which transactions made in a cryptocurrency are recorded and maintained across several computers, which are linked in a peer-to-peer network.

These records are referred to as blocks and are linked using cryptography.

Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block and transaction data and once recorded, the data in a block cannot be changed without affecting and changing the subsequent blocks.

Thus, this quality ensures that a blockchain is secure and is based on decentralisation, eliminating any risks associated with the reliance on one central authority to transact with other users.

Blockchain has the potential to impact various aspects of life, both in personal and professional terms. In Malta, the legislative framework of blockchain has been divided into three acts: the Virtual Financial Assets Act (VFA Act, Chapter 590 of the Laws of Malta), the Malta Digital Innovation Authority Act (MDIA Act, Chapter 591 of the Laws of Malta), and the Innovative Technology Arrangements and Services Act (ITAS Act, Chapter 592 of the Laws of Malta).

The use of blockchain technologies may be applied to a number of different legal spheres. When it comes to maritime and shipping law, Malta is a key player in this field, due to its strategic position and maritime diversity.

When analysing the application of blockchain in the field of shipping and maritime law, it is evident that it could impact a large number of aspects, including logistical, contractual and traceability aspects. It could also impact the manner in which ships are registered and the way in which documentation is stored.

Effectively, it could impact the entire process involved in transactions, making each transaction more efficient and possibly even cheaper. Its potential in the field of shipping and maritime law is an extensive one, which could completely revolutionise the way in which things are currently being done, and would provide a more secure and tamperproof platform for transactions to take place.

In terms of bills of lading, blockchain technology can improve the process involved in registering and transferring the ownership of goods, facilitating the process of trade for all parties involved, increasing efficiency, reducing costs and reducing paperwork.

Firstly, it would provide a secure trading platform with no central storage system. Secondly, it would also make the entire process faster and more efficient, as it would create an instant and immediate transaction, without any couriers or middlemen. Moreover, smart bills of lading would create a paperless system, while also reducing the costs of couriers.

It could impact the entire process involved in transactions, making each transaction more efficient and possibly even cheaper

When discussing the application of blockchain technologies to the shipping sphere in Malta, it would also be necessary to analyse whether there is the willingness of the authorities to actually shift from using traditional methods of carrying out transactions, to the use of blockchain platforms. Although blockchain has a number of benefits, there are also certain risks which may discourage authorities and individuals (such as ship owners) from wanting to convert from traditional methods, to blockchain technologies.

First of all, decentralisation is sometimes difficult to guarantee, and is often expensive due to the large amount of electricity which is required. Users of the blockchain use a cryptographic key in order to define their identity, however, this key could easily be copied, which could lead to the impersonation of the user.

Furthermore, if the key is lost, then all the other users would also lose control over the assets on the blockchain.

In the maritime and shipping industry, all transactions are still being made through intermediaries.

If blockchain technology were to start being applied in Maltas shipping industry, this would allow firms to transact directly between each other, without the need of using intermediaries and still ensuring secure transactions.

Furthermore, the industry in Malta is currently very paper-heavy, which also involves more administrative work. All this could be avoided with the application of smart contracts, which would not only reduce the amount of paperwork but would also make the process faster and more efficient.

Additionally, digitisationalso has the potential of changing the manner in which environmental conservation is traditionally being done. It is often said that maritime transport activities are very polluting in nature, however, through the process of digitalisation, this could provide for more sustainable development in the industry.

The future of blockchain is definitely an uncertain one, with many opposing views on the matter. Although it is currently very topical and its application seems to be on the rise in a number of countries and also in Malta, certain critics and high-profile individuals do not see a positive future in this regard.

Nina Fauser is fourth year LL.B (Hons.)student

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The application of blockchain in Malta's maritime and shipping industry - Times of Malta

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Excerpt from:
Global Quantum Cryptography Market 2019 by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 - Galus Australis

17-03-2020 | Microchip Technology | Semiconductors

Microchip Technology has released a new cryptography-enabled MCU, the CEC1712 MCU with Soteria-G2 custom firmware created to stop malicious malware including rootkit and bootkit for systems that boot from external SPI flash memory.

The company's Soteria-G2 custom firmware on its full-featured CEC1712 Arm Cortex-M4-based microcontroller gives secure boot with hardware root of trust protection in a pre-boot mode for operating systems booting from external SPI flash memory. Also, the device offers key revocation and code rollback protection throughout operating life, facilitating in-field security updates. Complying with NIST 800-193 guidelines, the device protects, detects and recovers from corruption for total system platform firmware resiliency. The secure boot with hardware root of trust is crucial in guarding the system against threats before they can load into the system and only enables the system to boot employing software trusted by the manufacturer.

A particularly insidious form of malware is a rootkit because it loads before an operating system boots and can hide from ordinary anti-malware software and is notoriously difficult to detect, said Ian Harris, vice president of Microchips computing products group. One way to defend against root kits is with secure boot. The CEC1712 and Soteria-G2 firmware is designed to protect against threats before they can be loaded."

Secure provisioning for some of Microchip's flagship products is an important part of our offering, and the Soteria-G2 firmware and CEC1712 microcontroller are targeted to protect systems, said Aiden Mitchell, vice president of IoT at Arrow Electronics. Customers will increasingly seek such offerings as we approach the 5G era and go more into connected solutions and autonomous machines.

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Protect against Rootkit and Bootkit malware - Electropages

Blockchain-as-a-Service is the third-party development and organization of cloud-based networks for firms dealing with the development of blockchain applications. The key reason for the rising implementation of the blockchain-as-a-service market is that it enables businesses to concentrate on their main jobs rather than killing time in installing the infrastructure facilities. Reliable privacy protocol and security are being provided by the blockchain technology founded on cryptographic hash function in which every transaction in the string is recognized by its own hash key. The crypto hash functions intricacy decreases the vulnerability to fraud of the blockchain technology. At present, blockchain technology has turned out to be among the most potential innovation in the information technology segment. And it is now utilized across numerous industry sectors like healthcare & life sciences; electronics; media & entertainment, banking, financial services, & insurance (BFSI); energy, chemical, and utility.

The key factor fueling the growth of global blockchain as a service market is the rising implementation of blockchain within the financial sector. The copious supports entailed in building such a platform have by now lured massive attention and accordingly financial support from the financial sector. Numerous technological giants functioning in blockchain technology offer data privacy and security together with data duplication further boosting the growth of the global blockchain as a service market. Earlier, the implementation of blockchain technology was limited to the BFSI (banking, financial services & insurance) sector. Nevertheless, at present, the actual blockchain model is being executed across several core applications.

In addition, blockchain technology shows many potential applications in the fields of healthcare and power that, in turn, is expected to fuel the growth of the global market during the forecast period. Nevertheless, the dearth of skilled staff and intricate technology are projected to hamper the expansion of the blockchain as a service market in the coming period. Nonetheless, the blockchain as a service market is projected to witness a rise in demand in the years to come, as the BaaS (Mobile backend as a service) operator handles all the complex back-end jobs and infrastructure for the businesses and client. Traits like peer-to-peer distributed network architecture and extensive usage of cryptography are a few other benefits presented by blockchain as a service model to be applied in enterprises, government, and in numerous other sectors. Moreover, the rising implementation of blockchain technologies in numerous end-user industries is also expected to bring up many expansion avenues for the key contenders in the blockchain as a service market during the forecast period.

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To cite, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) teamed up with R3 technology (R3) and Microsoft in March 2019 to implement an extensible cross-industry blockchain platform. A few of the secure solutions that are being developed on these platforms comprise anti-counterfeiting of luxury goods, skills marketplace, shared telecom infrastructure for 5G, affordable mobility, and rewards & loyalty programs.

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Increasing Applications In Numerous Verticals Expected To Boost Global Blockchain-As-A-Service Market Growth - The Tricks Trend