What if the simple act of tapping your card could put your identity at risk? 

Every day, we trust encryption to protect our money, data, and digital lives. But quantum computers are advancing fast, and soon they could crack today’s security in seconds, making our current “digital locks” obsolete. 

So how do we protect ourselves in a quantum world? 

On this episode of The Solutionists, host Mark Scott explores the race to reinvent cybersecurity for the quantum age. 

He speaks with leading mathematician Nalini Joshi, 2025 NSW Scientist of the Year, who’s bringing together some of the world’s brightest minds to develop new forms of encryption powerful enough to withstand quantum computing. She explains why maths is central to our digital future, and how mathematical thinking can unlock entirely new possibilities. 

Plus, PhD researcher Prachi takes us inside a quantum control lab for a rare glimpse of a quantum computer in action. 

+++ 

The Solutionists is a podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Facebook and Instagram, and @sydney.edu.au on Bluesky. 

This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot. Supervising producer is Sarah Dabro. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. 

This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.