TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In response to the launch of the Quantum Safe Migration Center in Taipei this week, former U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Matthew Pottinger said the effort between industry and academics was "critical" in terms of safeguarding national security.

Against the backdrop of growing cybercrime and the growing security challenges associated with advances in quantum computing, the Quantum Safe Migration Center (QSMC) began operations on Tuesday (Aug. 1). Tasked with strengthening Taiwan's information security resilience as part of a national security plan, the center will serve as a bridge between government, industry, academic institutions, and international researchers.

The opening of the center has drawn attention from international security experts, at a time when the U.S., Europe, and tech giants are increasing efforts to protect data and to prevent cyber espionage from foreign threats. China, Russia, and North Korea are frequently named as the origin of many of these threats.

Pottinger told Taiwan News that quantum computing will enable rogue actors and autocratic regimes to decrypt sensitive government and business secrets in minutes — a feat which would take today's computers thousands of years.

"While society will benefit enormously from the potential this ultra-fast computing capability brings, it will also face new threats from actors who will use quantum for nefarious purposes," Pottinger said. "The world has yet to fully recognize the magnitude of disruption that quantum computing will unleash in the years to come."

He hailed the efforts by the team at Quantum Safe Migration Center as "critical and commendable."

Pottinger, who is also a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution and is known for his analysis on the Indo-Pacific and China, also urged governments and industry to begin securing their sensitive information with new "quantum-proof" encryption protocols.