In this episode of Inspiring Design, host Rashan Senanayake sits down with Professor Craig Costello, a world-leading cryptographer from Queensland University of Technology and former Microsoft Research scientist, to unpack one of the most critical (yet least understood) challenges of our digital future: post-quantum cryptography.

Craig explains how cryptography quietly protects everything we do online — from internet banking and emails to WhatsApp messages and cloud systems — and why today’s encryption methods won’t survive the rise of quantum computers.

Together, they explore:

• Why every digital interaction relies on cryptography, even if you never see it
• What post-quantum cryptography actually is (without the jargon)
• How quantum computing could break today’s security standards
• The global race to develop quantum-resistant encryption
• Why early exposure to STEM and mathematics can shape world-changing careers
• What governments, educators, businesses, and technologists should be thinking about right now

This is a must-listen episode for educators, technology leaders, cybersecurity professionals, policymakers, and future-focused innovators who want to understand how we secure trust in a rapidly evolving digital world.

Resources & Related Links:

• Craig Costello: In the war for information, will quantum computers defeat cryptographers? | TED Talk

• Australian government: Planning for post-quantum cryptography | Cyber.gov.au