Quantum Information Science and Technology
Foreign actors are increasingly targeting and collecting against a wide range of U.S. quantum companies, universities, and government labs
Quantum information science and technology (QIS) is the use of the laws of quantum physics for the storage, transmission, manipulation, computing, or measurement of information. It is an emerging field with the potential to revolutionize the fields of science and engineering involving computation, communication, precision measurement, and fundamental quantum science. It exploits unique quantum properties such as coherence, superposition, entanglement, and squeezing to acquire, transmit, and process information.
Globally, private investors and governments, including adversarial nations, are investing heavily in quantum technology research and development. QIS might give rise to the quantum computer, which scientists theorize could advance research in communication networks, drugs, materials, medical imaging, micro-electronics and semiconductors. The full range of potential applications of quantum computers and technology is unknown.
The Quantum Information Science Counterintelligence Protection Team is an inter-agency unit tasked with protecting the QIS developed by the United States and like-minded nations. It was established by the National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018 and is part of the National Counterintelligence Task Force.
The United States’ economic and national security are inextricably linked. Our academic institutions, research enterprises, and private sector drive the U.S. economy. They are also targets. Stolen innovation is not just the theft of one idea. It also means potentially lost jobs, stolen opportunities for American workers, decreased national power, and reduced leadership in the industries hostile nations seek to dominate in the decades to come.
The threat from foreign intelligence adversaries have become increasingly complex as they employ an all-tools approach that include nontraditional collectors, economic and academic influence, and other asymmetric intelligence operations. No single U.S. counterintelligence agency can fully understand or mitigate these operations on their own. The National Counterintelligence Task Force, which is comprised of over 50 government agencies, was born out of this idea. A component of its mission is protecting the quantum research and development landscape. This covers all efforts across and within government, academia, and the private sector.
Through the Quantum Information Science Counterintelligence Protection Team, the FBI, our enforcement partners, and other like-minded nations that share our values respecting the rule of law, fair trade, and scientific collaborative reciprocity are working with industry, academic, and government labs to ensure a secure research environment.
Contact your local field office to help mitigate threats to your quantum research and technology.
- Contact the FBI online at tips.fbi.gov
- Call 1-800-CALL FBI (1-800-225-5324)
