On quantum computation capabilities in an information assurance context

Quantum computers harness quantum mechanical properties to perform computations beyond the scope of traditional computers. Quantum parallelism gives quantum computers incredible computational power and allows for algorithms such as Shor's algorithm which breaks many modern cryptosystems. The no-cloning theorem and measurement properties of quantum systems give rise to new cryptosystems. Entanglement allows for many new algorithms including error code correction which would otherwise be impossible in such systems (given the no-cloning theorem). This paper explores these concepts from an information assurance standpoint as they have significant implications for information systems.