Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) today introduced the Quantum Cybersecurity Preparedness Act with Rep. Ro Khana (D-CA) and Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA). Rep. Mace’s team said that “by prompting the Federal government to begin taking the necessary steps today to prevent bad actors from stealing valuable information in the age of quantum computing, this important legislation helps future proof current sensitive information databases.”
Rep. Mace released the following statement about the legislation:
“The future of quantum computing brings with it both significant opportunities and risks. I'm optimistic about the power of quantum computing as part of the new technological frontier, but we must take preemptive steps to ensure bad actors aren’t able to use this technology in more sinister ways. Our government must learn from past mistakes and take action now to protect its citizens from future cyber security threats.
“I'm confident the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will be capable of ensuring Americans are shielded from these threats before there’s no going back.”
Rep. Khanna released the following statement:
“Even though classical computers can't break encryption now, our adversaries can still steal our data in the hopes of decrypting it later. That's why I believe that the federal government must begin strategizing immediately about the best ways to move our encrypted data to algorithms that use post-quantum cryptography. I'm a strong supporter of federal funding for quantum computing and believe the technology can one day help us solve many of the world's problems. Like with any new technology, however, we have to plan ahead for potential nefarious uses. A world where all of our encrypted data is exposed would have catastrophic implications for national security and the economy. That's why I'm proud to introduce this legislation with Reps. Connolly and Mace to tackle this before it's too late.”
The bill is endorsed by Google, IBM, PQSecure Technologies, QuSecure, Maybell Quantum, and Quantinuum. The full text can be found here.
