QuantumIT Fact Check and CEO's Talk, "Quantum-Safe Security 2020"

By Keattisak Sripimanwat - Chair, IEEE ComSoc Thailand Chapter

In parallel with the annual meeting of the IEEE Thailand Section on November 2020, one of the most interesting topics as a keynote speech was given, covering the aspects of quantum technology, particularly quantum cryptography. Dr. Grégoire Ribordy, the founder of ID Quantique (iDQ), presented a 40-minute online talk. In the session of quantum information technology for communications security, he recalled his 19 years of quantum technology startup and updated how far iDQ has grown. He presented a number of tips for those who have no technical background, such as the basic of quantum key distribution (QKD), the second quantum revolution, quantum random number generator (QRNG) in 5G phone, quantum tech security in a Korean 5G network, investment on quantum technology around the world, and many others.

In order to expand his keynote presentation, the Thai Quantum Information (Q-Thai) forum organized another session to convey more up-to-date information via a contemporary Q&A page. Many important controversial topics on QKD were questioned and answered there, for example, QKD seems like a solution to a problem that we do not really have, uncleared standardization and market, ambiguous technical development where “quantum channel” “trusted node” and “quantum hacking” established in the physics area but not available in the real world of communications engineering. The archive of this talk at www.quantum-thai.org/quantum-safe-security-2020, is good for all technology lovers, entrepreneurs, policy makers, and even for science communicators.

Because of the excessive hype in quantum information technology in recent years, apart from that main event, the Q-Thai forum also served with additional resources in order to provide the public with adequate background. They are worldwide year news, related policy and investment, important and popular keywords, statistics and analysis on publications/patents/products, and technical development. All is included in an annual video series started in 2016 and being served at www.quantum-thai.org/year-news. Moreover, older necessary menus on QuantumIT digest, quotes, columns and articles, books, and pictorial milestones, have also been accumulated since 2014. All of them are backing up as a knowledge portal becoming a new project, “Quantum ICT FactCheck at Thailand” recently.

IEEE ComSoc Thailand has also initiated a campaign to raise public awareness on both sides of QuantumIT by networking people in parallel. They could utilize those evidence based resources to cross check on “trusted science vs pseudoscience” and “fact vs. fake news or hype” by themselves. Hopefully, these up-to-date sources of reference, QICT FactCheck, should be one of the sustainable solutions toward the new normal society.