A Leading Authority in Post-Quantum Cryptography and Cybersecurity – Interview with David Firnhaber
David Firnhaber is a proven expert in post-quantum cryptography with a rich background in cybersecurity. Leveraging his leadership and scholastic excellence, he consistently delivers his continued doctoral-level research and is positioned to share his knowledge with many students. Outside of work, David Firnhaber enjoys songwriting, outdoors, painting, and documentaries, adding a unique perspective to his writing.
David K Firnhaber, Doctor of Philosophy in Cybersecurity
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.
I grew up in LaPorte, Indiana. I have lived, traveled, and worked in Northwest Indiana and the greater Chicago area my whole life. I am a big foodie, so I like to explore and find new restaurants. I enjoy playing guitar, pool, and karaoke. I have a son, Tyler, who is about to turn 16. At home, I like to cook, listen to music, and spend time with my cat, Broski.
What inspired you to pursue a career in Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) and cybersecurity, and what motivates you to continue innovating in this field?
I always had a passion for quantum physics. Growing up, I was enthralled by the sci-fi movies depicting teleportation and time travel, which spurred my interest in the quantum field. As I progressed through college, at some point I came across the research and development of quantum computers. I began researching this heavily during my master’s degree, although it did not apply to my research at the time. Eventually, during my doctoral work, I realized that I could base my dissertation around the PQC concept. This opened the door for me to delve into the subject.
Your research and projects tackle crucial issues like human trafficking in cyberspace. Can you share more about the impact of your work in this area?
My work has had some impact on non-profit organizations as they collaborate with law enforcement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). A lot of legal research is required to conduct these cyber investigations. I have proposed constructing automated processes that help detect criminal activities, alert investigators, collect evidence, and protect victims’ information while securing the systems and networks being used to conduct the investigations and keeping in line with industry standards and regulations.
With your extensive academic background, including multiple degrees and ongoing studies, how has education shaped your approach to cybersecurity challenges?
My extensive educational background gives me a honed ability to analyze a business’s vulnerabilities and recommend viable, cost-effective solutions. The recommendations I make are backed up with solid math regarding the potential losses if vulnerabilities go unfixed versus the Return on Investment (ROI) based on the cost of the recommended solutions.
How do your personal interests, such as hiking, fishing, and songwriting, influence your perspective or contribute to your professional work in cybersecurity?
I believe these personal interests grant me patience, creativity, endurance, and agreeability. These characteristics can help anyone be a better professional.
What advice would you give to aspiring cybersecurity professionals looking to make a meaningful impact in areas like Post-Quantum Cryptography or combating cybercrime?
Specialization. My advice is to specialize in something. If your passion is cyber investigations, go into digital forensics ready to learn the tools. Not just learn how to use them, but get to know the intricacies of the tools so that you can say they are your specialty. If you are going into cybersecurity rather than investigations, try to find your strengths. Nobody is good at everything. Make yourself a valuable team member for a cybersecurity team by specializing in cryptography and network monitoring, for instance.
Can you tell us more about your involvement with the Moose organization and LION195, and how your volunteer work aligns with your professional mission?
The Moose Fraternity supports the operation of Mooseheart Child City & School, a community for children and teens in need. I have worked with them for years. Sometimes I am tasked with helping sell hotdogs at a parade. Other times, you might find me frying pollock for a Friday fish fry. As far as LION195 goes, for the past few years, I have dedicated my research to furthering their cause. Their mission is to help survivors of child trafficking to heal and become leaders.
Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.
I believe that my dissertation manuscript helped establish me as an authority in the PQC field. This was by far the most impressive achievement. When I began the dissertation process, many people were saying different estimates regarding how many qubits it would take to crack RSA-2048. My findings helped create a realistic timeline for the growth rate of quantum computing resources such as qubits and gates and a more realistic estimate of how many qubits it would take. This also helped justify NIST’s timeline for changing standards to quantum-safe encryption methods. This is a lot closer than most people realize.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?
AI. I would change AI regulations. Maybe I have read too many books and watched too many movies about the ghost in the machine and rogue AI, but it seems to me that if we continue to develop AIs without rigorous standards and regulations, there will be experimental models that could cause harm to systems that we come to rely on more and more. As time goes by, it is only more likely to happen, especially without direct enforcement powers.
Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today.
In 2009, my son was born in May. Later that year, in September, my mother, Ruth, passed away. I was 22 at the time, and I had no real direction in life, so in 2010, I went to the local community college, Ivy Tech. I chose a double major: Computer Information Network Systems/Computer Information Network Technology (CINS/CINT) concentrating on security. That was the beginning of an exciting academic adventure that would lead me in a very large circle—right back to Ivy Tech, but 13 years later, I would be teaching part-time as Doctor Professor Firnhaber.
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