SEI Quantum Computing team members Dr. Jason Larkin, Daniel Justice, and Matias Jonsson discuss what Jonsson is learning as a student intern in quantum computing, applications where quantum computing can offer advantages over classical computers, and where they think the quantum field is going.

Ritwik Gupta and Elli Kanal explain what ransomware is, what it can do to your computer, and how you can help prevent infections using the concept of cyber hygiene. Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts the files on a computer, preventing the user from accessing them. The attacker then extorts the user by requesting a ransom in exchange for the key that unlocks the files.

In this Cyber Talk episode, Ritwik Gupta and Elli Kanal explain how ransomware can infect a computer, and they discuss examples of how criminals have targeted single computers as well as large systems to explain what can happen when ransomware infects a system. To prevent ransomware attacks, Gupta and Kanal explain the concept of “cyber hygiene,” which refers to a set of basic practices that users can perform to decrease the risk of getting infected by malware. They stress the importance of developing an awareness for cyber hygiene, especially after the advent of the Internet of things, which has increased the number of devices that are susceptible to infection, including phones, cars, refrigerators, and more.

Rotem Guttman and Zach Kurtz explain what deepfakes are, how they work, and what kind of content it’s possible to create with current techniques and technology.

The term “deepfake” refers to the use of machine learning to produce content for essays or to modify photos and videos. When it comes to photos and videos, the images are often so realistic that viewers are not able to tell that they are fake. In this Cyber Talk episode, Rotem Guttman and Zach Kurtz explain the kinds of machine learning that people use to create deepfakes, how they work, and what kind of content it’s possible to produce with current technology. Rotem and Zach also cover the techniques people use to create fraudulent content. Such techniques include using an actor to film a video and then replacing the actor’s face with someone else’s, as well as more advanced methods that can reproduce a person’s body movements, voice, speech, and facial expressions to make that person appear to say or do something that he or she did not actually say or do. Finally, they discuss the current limitations of these technologies and techniques, and they forecast advances that might occur in the coming years.