“If two people communicate in secrecy by encoding information in a quantum system, an eavesdropper cannot measure or copy it”

Awarded the 12th Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Basic Sciences, Gilles Brassard explains in this interview how his contributions to quantum cryptography have transformed our understanding of information security. From the fundamentals of quantum entanglement to the practical applications of secure-key protocols, Brassard details how quantum computing and communication challenge the limits of classical cryptography. His reflections highlight the potential and challenges of integrating quantum concepts into technologies that could redefine privacy and security in the digital age.

The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Basic Sciences has gone in this twelfth edition to Charles Bennett, Gilles Brassard and Peter Shor for their “outstanding contributions to the field of quantum computation and communication,” said the committee in its citation.