The Future of Information Assurance
Jeremy A. Hansen · 2012
This chapter analyzes the future of information assurance and possible directions of interest in this field. It discusses four major areas that are expected to become more important in the future: (1) quantum computing, (2) healthcare, (3) legal and jurisdictional issues, and (4) ubiquitous technologies. The chapter elaborates on the basic idea of quantum computing, according to which, subatomic particles relate to other particles in interesting and useful ways. It points out that there is no certainty that a computer operating on a large number of particles can even be built, and if these obstacles are overcome, one of the best-known security implications of such computers is that cryptographic algorithms that rely on factoring integers or calculating the discrete logarithm may be dramatically weakened. The chapter also emphasizes that the security of medical systems would be among the most interesting topics in the future of security. As computers become smaller and medical devices more sophisticated, digital logic will come to control, monitor, and interface with human bodies with increasing frequency. The chapter provides a few examples of such devices and possible adverse events that may be caused by their failure or compromise.