SaTC: EDU: A Curriculum for Quantum Security and Trust

SaTC：EDU：量子安全和信任课程

基本信息

批准号：
2113839
负责人：
Swaroop Ghosh
金额：
$ 21.5万
依托单位：
Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2021
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2021-06-15 至 2024-05-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2113839&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
SaTC EDU Curriculum Quantum Security

项目摘要

Quantum computing is significantly faster than its classical counterparts at solving certain types of problems, including those with applications in cryptography. Encryption is used to protect hard disk data, communication channels, and sensitive user data in large scale data centers from eavesdropping, misuse, and tampering. The use of quantum computers to carry out cyberattacks on these systems has the potential to expose a wide variety of user data placing data worth trillions of dollars at risk. Quantum computing courses presented in the computer science domain are typically introduced at a theoretical level with little emphasis on hands-on activities using real quantum hardware. Courses addressing quantum computing in the physics domain focus on quantum mechanical properties of materials. Meanwhile, industry is producing Noisy-Intermediate-Scale-Quantum computers paving the way for research on practical applications of quantum computing, including using off-the-shelf algorithms to solve problems related to cryptography, which are areas not currently covered in quantum computing courses . As a result, there is a widening gap between coursework and industry advancement that needs to be addressed to ensure there is an adequately skilled workforce prepared to address the opportunities and threats that will arise as quantum computing becomes more widely accessible. This project hopes to address this gap and to advance cybersecurity education through the development of a flexible and portable course that can be easily adopted.This project intends to create a hands-on curriculum for undergraduate students, using the Quantum Security and Trust (QUEST) framework, to allow students to apply their newly acquired knowledge immediately as part of the learning process. The proposed curriculum rests on activities and games on the QUEST framework to reinforce relevant concepts. The students will create various circuits on QUEST and validate them in simulations and on real quantum hardware. This approach should enable personalized learning at low cost due to cloud-based access to quantum hardware and a simulator. It also hopes to facilitate self-learning of complex quantum computing concepts through hands-on activities. The proposed course can be taken by undergraduate students with minimal prerequisite knowledge. Therefore, a large population of undergraduate students can be exposed to quantum computing and cybersecurity early in their career. This project is supported by the Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) program, which funds proposals that address cybersecurity and privacy, and in this case specifically cybersecurity education. The SaTC program aligns with the Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Strategic Plan and the National Privacy Research Strategy to protect and preserve the growing social and economic benefits of cyber systems while ensuring security and privacy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

在解决某些类型的问题（包括密码学应用的问题）方面，量子计算比传统计算要快得多。加密用于保护大型数据中心中的硬盘数据、通信通道和敏感用户数据免遭窃听、滥用和篡改。使用量子计算机对这些系统进行网络攻击有可能暴露各种用户数据，使价值数万亿美元的数据面临风险。计算机科学领域提供的量子计算课程通常在理论层面进行介绍，很少强调使用真实量子硬件的实践活动。物理领域量子计算课程重点关注材料的量子力学特性。与此同时，业界正在生产噪声中规模量子计算机，为量子计算的实际应用研究铺平道路，包括使用现成的算法来解决与密码学相关的问题，这些领域目前在量子计算课程中尚未涵盖。因此，课程作业和行业进步之间的差距不断扩大，需要解决这一问题，以确保有足够熟练的劳动力做好准备，以应对随着量子计算变得更广泛而出现的机遇和威胁。该项目希望通过开发易于采用的灵活、便携的课程来弥补这一差距并推进网络安全教育。该项目打算利用量子安全与信任（QUEST）为本科生创建实践课程框架，让学生能够立即应用新获得的知识作为学习过程的一部分。拟议的课程以 QUEST 框架上的活动和游戏为基础，以强化相关概念。学生将在 QUEST 上创建各种电路，并在模拟和真实量子硬件上对其进行验证。由于基于云的量子硬件和模拟器的访问，这种方法应该能够以低成本实现个性化学习。它还希望通过实践活动促进复杂量子计算概念的自学。所提议的课程可由具有最低限度必备知识的本科生学习。因此，大量本科生可以在职业生涯的早期接触量子计算和网络安全。该项目得到安全可信网络空间 (SaTC) 计划的支持，该计划资助解决网络安全和隐私问题的提案，在本例中特别是网络安全教育。 SaTC 计划与联邦网络安全研究与发展战略计划和国家隐私研究战略相一致，旨在保护和维护网络系统不断增长的社会和经济效益，同时确保安全和隐私。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并被认为值得获得通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来提供支持。