From Cybercrimes to Quantum Challenges: The Rise of Industry 6.0
The necessity to define and to design the 6th industrial revolution – industry 6.0 is due to begin
January 16, 2024
Industry 5.0 is on the way to be rolled out, so why to rush into the next stage of industrial revolution?
In a nutshell, the rapid progresses in quantum computing forcing the implementation of industry 6.0.
Between 2001 and 2022, there was a notable rise in the reported monetary damages caused by Cybercrime to the United States' Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). In the most recent period assessed, the annual loss from complaints referred to the IC3 reached 10.3 billion U.S. dollars, marking a significant increase from the 6.9 billion U.S. dollars reported in the preceding year. This surge underscores the escalating financial impact of Cybercrime in the United States.
Cybercrime remains a formidable challenge for governments globally, including in the United States. The continuous growth in reported losses emphasizes the pressing need for enhanced Cybersecurity measures and international cooperation to address this persistent threat.
According to Bitkom e.V., German companies faced a staggering 203 billion euros in damages in 2022 due to Cyber attacks. The severity of the issue is emphasized by the fact that 9 out of 10 companies fell victim to data theft, espionage, or sabotage.
The involvement of organized crime in these attacks is on a steady rise, accompanied by a notable surge in incidents originating from Russia and China.
A striking 84 percent of companies in Germany experienced the impact of Cyber attacks in 2022. Notably, concerns regarding the consequences of a cyberattack are growing exponentially, with 45 percent of companies expressing the belief that such attacks could pose a serious threat to their business existence. This figure has surged from a mere 9 percent just a year ago.
In response to these challenges, there is a unanimous call for increased governmental intervention. A significant 98 percent of companies advocate for enhanced EU-wide cooperation on Cybersecurity, while 97 percent are urging politicians to take more robust measures against Cyber attacks originating from abroad. The need for collective action to safeguard against Cyber threats is becoming increasingly evident in the corporate landscape.
The damages caused by Cybercrime extend beyond monetary losses to include reputational damage, loss of trust, and potential national security implications. The evolving nature of Cyber threats requires continuous efforts in Cybersecurity, international collaboration, and the development of resilient systems.
There has been a discernible uptick in the allocation of companies' IT budgets toward IT security in comparison to the previous year. Currently, companies are dedicating an average of 9 percent of their IT budgets to security, marking an increase from the 7 percent spent a year ago.
The pressing need for companies to bolster their investment in IT security is evident. Despite long-standing awareness of the potentially devastating consequences of a successful Cyber attack, essential protective measures come at a cost. Berg from Bitcom e.V. underscores the urgency for board members and management to promptly take action by augmenting financial commitments to Cybersecurity. The recognition of the severity of Cyber threats must be met with proactive and strategic financial measures to safeguard organizational assets.
The call to shift our focus towards the 6th industrial revolution stems not solely from the prevailing threat of Cybercrime, which can be addressed within the existing paradigms of the 4th or 5th industrial revolutions. The impetus for advancing to Industry 6.0 is primarily driven by the rapid strides in quantum computing.
Shor's algorithm - quantum algorithm for finding the prime factors of an integer IBM's quantum processor boasting 1121 qubits is sufficiently large to execute the quantum Fourier transform (QFT), harnessing its exponential speedup. The sheer magnitude of IBM's quantum processor, with its 1121 qubits, is indicative of the necessity to carry out the QFT effectively, requiring no fewer than 600 qubits.
It's noteworthy that China, a formidable player in quantum computing, rivals the capabilities of the United States, as evidenced by their recent activities in Cyber attacks. Coupled with the alarming pace at which encryption methods were compromised by the end of 2023, we cautiously asserted in our December 2023 publication that Q-Day is not a future event but has already transpired.
In simpler terms, we posit that both the NSA and its Chinese counterpart possess the capability to breach any classical encryption within an acceptable time frame. The crux of the issue lies in the fact that defenders against quantum hacking find their historical advantage inverted. Quantum computing, with its statistical stochastic array inherent in the depth of qubits, presents a unique challenge. With 1121 qubits, the equivalent of 2¹¹²¹ bits, classical encryption methods can be compromised. For sensitive, let alone existential data, it would be imprudent to risk insufficiencies in error compensation and to assume that quantum hacking is a distant concern.
This discussion is not about intelligence agencies but centers around compromised security and the urgent need to shift our focus to Industry 6.0.
While Industry 4.0 and 5.0 have been instrumental in constructing smart and recently sustainable cities, the surge in Cyber attacks, particularly on critical infrastructure, since the invasion of Russia into Ukraine and the ensuing war, underscores their inadequacy. Achieving sustainability necessitates maximizing synergy effects and optimizing resource utilization, objectives well-addressed by the tools of Industry 4.0 and 5.0. However, in the face of the geopolitical polarization and increased Cyber threats, these concepts prove insufficient, especially against quantum hacking and hybrid attacks.
The urgency to protect our infrastructure, industries, societies, and lives cannot be overstated. Without a proactive approach, envision the ramifications of an attack on a smart or sustainable city—autonomous vehicles turning rogue, power plants shutting down, and traffic lights displaying green everywhere. Consider disruptions in the banking sector and the misdirection of transactions, or the theft and alteration of crucial data on servers. The potential consequences are vast and imminent.
Enter Industry 6.0, the next logical step and a robust response to the menace of quantum and hybrid hacking. The initial thrust involves prioritizing post-quantum hacking secure data and swiftly adopting the best methods. Ensuring classic encrypted data becomes inaccessible to hackers is imperative. Simultaneously, we must embark on the roll-out of quantum networks, an area still in its nascent stages. The finance sector and power suppliers should lead the charge in establishing robust quantum networks.
Yet, Industry 6.0 is more than just about post-quantum hacking security. It's a forward-looking strategy that addresses impending challenges such as global warming, depleting resources, environmental pollution, renewable energy volatility, efficient energy storage management, intelligent and sustainable farming (both urban and rural), and the safety of supply chains. It encapsulates a comprehensive approach to overcome the multifaceted challenges of the near future.